Class 



Book 



Copyright})^. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOStr 



I 



GARDEN PLANNING 



THE GARDEN LIBRARY 



Roses, and How to Grow Them 

By Many Experts 

Ferns, and How to Grow. Them 

By G. A. Woolson 

Lawns, and How to Make Them 

By Leonard Barron 

Daffodils-Narcissus, and How to Grow Them 
By A. M. Kirby 

Water-Lilies, and How to Grow Them 

By Henri Hus and Henry S. Conard 

House Plants 

By Parker Thayer Barnes 

The Orchard and Fruit Garden 

By E. P. Powell 

The Flower Garden 

By Ida D. Bennett 

The Vegetable Garden 

By Ida D. Bennett 

Vines, and How to Grow Them 

By William C. McCollom 

Garden Planning 

By W. S. Rogers 

Chrysanthemums, and How to Grow Them 
By I. L. Powell 



Perspective view of Garden 



GARDEN PLANNING 

BY 

W. S. ROGERS 

ILLUSTRATED 
BY THE AUTHOR 




Garden City New York 
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 
1911 



COPYRIGHT, IQII, BY DOTJBLEDAY. PAGE & COMPANY 




©CI.A295468 



PUBLISHER'S PREFACE 



There are several justifications for the 
appearance of a book on Garden Planning. 
One is the meagre treatment the subject has 
heretofore received as compared with the more 
mechanical phases of garden making — plant- 
ing, cultivating, etc. Another is the vital, 
though often unappreciated, importance of the 
subject, especially in this day of countryward, 
outdoorward tendencies. The significance of 
the cash valuation of the work of the land- 
scape architect when contrasted with that of 
the gardener is not often grasped. 

This volume, however, is designed for those 
who are not inclined to make use of the 
services of a professional garden designer. 
Either excessive cost or intense personal 
interest in the development of the home 
grounds may elfect this result. In either case he 
who plans his own garden will do well to famil- 
iarize himself with the principles, methods, 
and probable results as set forth herein. 

V 



VI 



publisher's preface 



The ultimate ideals of art, taste, judgment 
and harmony are not local hut universal. 
A successful discussion of their principles is of 
value not to one nation, but to many. The 
present volume, written by an Englishman, from 
an English point of view, has, added to the 
weight of his practical knowledge, the benefit 
of England's many years of experience in 
garden making. It carries to the reader both 
the writer's originahty of treatment and the 
conventionality of well-founded theories. 

But few alterations for the benefit of Ameri- 
can readers have been necessary in the text. 
The lists of plants in the appendix have been more 
extensively revised in adapting them to Ameri- 
can conditions, but in every case the aim has 
been to amplify, not to arbitrarily change, the 
original list. In regard to the rearranging and 
compihng of the present tables, acknowledg- 
ment is rendered to the following whose efforts 
have supplied valuable assistance: L. H. Bailey, 
P. T. Barnes, J. J. Levinson, W. C. McCollum, 
Wilhelm Miller, Thomas Murray, J.T. Scott, M. 
C. Sedgewick, and E. L. D. Seymour. The nom- 
enclature has been standardized according to L. 
H.Bailey's Cyclopedia of AmericanHorticulture. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Introductory 3 

II. The Factors in Detail 9 

III. The Garden Picture 28 

IV. The Rectilinear Principle .... 45 
V. The Elements of the Garden Plan . 51 

VI. Beds and Borders 70 

VII. Construction of Walks and Drives . 87 

VIII. Grass as a Foundation 108 

IX. How TO Plan a Garden 127 

X. Sloping Gardens 141 

XI. The Rock Garden 152 

XII. The Rose Garden 173 

XIIL Water in the Garden 183 

XIV. The Vegetable Garden 197 

XV. Glass 207 

XVI. Fences and Hedges 212 

XVII. Tile and Other Artificial Edgings . 229 

XVIII. Garden Accessories 236 

XIX. Some Minor Accessories 274 

XX. Garden Plans 280 

XXI. Planting 307 

XXII. Further Considerations in Garden 

Making 323 

XXIII. The Garden and the Flower .... 335 

Appendix 341 

Index 421 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Perspective View of Garden Frontispiece 

nOU££ PAGE 

1. Diagrams Illustrating Aspect 21 

2. Houses on Plots of Irregular Shape . . 25 

3. Garden Styles Compared 48 

4. Expansion of Path 54 

5. Expansion of Path 59 

6. Expansion of Path 60 

7. Path Junction 61 

8. Curves in Paths 62 

9. The Grouping of Beds 65 

10. Correct Form for Group of Beds ... 68 

11. Trenching 73 

12. Drainage for Beds and Borders .... 76 

13. Shapes of Beds 80 

14. Shapes of Beds 81 

15. Relation Between Beds in a Group ... 83 

16. Entrance to Drive 89 

17. The Carriage-turn 90 

18. Path Foundation 93 

19. Design for Brick Path 98 

20. Section of Brick Path 100 

21. Design for Composite Path lol 

22. Design for Stone Path 105 

23. Design for Stone Path 106 

24. Level AND Straight-edge 116 

25. Tennis Court 117 

ix 



X 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



FIGURE PAGE 

26. Croquet Court 118 

27. Acute Angles IN Grass 12 1 

28. Beds in Relation to Grass Shapes . . . 123 

29. Typical Garden Plan 131 

30. The Method OF Off-sets ....... 131 

31. Arrangement OF Trees 131 

32. Terracing — Sectional View 142 

33. Terracing — Sectional View 142 

34. Terracing — Sectional View 143 

35. Steps in Paths 144 

36. Dealing with A Transverse Slope . . . 145 

37. Dealing WITH a Transverse Slope . . . 146 

38. Steps 149 

39. Spreading Steps 150 

40. Earthwork in the Rock Garden .... 160 

41. RocKWORK Section 161 

42. Rocks in Relation to Soil 162 

43. Arrangement of Rock Masses .... 163 

44. Arrangements of Rock Masses .... 165 

45. Arrangements of Peat in the Rock Garden 166 

46. Rose Beds in Grass 176 

47. Rose Beds in Gravel ^ . . 176 

48. A Long Rose Garden 178 

49. Planting Roses 180 

50. A Water Garden 185 

51. A Water Garden ' . 187 

52. SoAK-AWAY Drain 189 

53. Ponds 190 

54. Tub for Water Plants 195 

55. Borders Through the Vegetable Plot . 198 

56. Position for Vegetable Plots 204 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



xi 



riOXniE PAGE 

57. Wooden Fencing 214 

58. Stretching Wire Fencing 217 

59. Open Wooden Fencing 218 

60. Larch Fencing 220 

61. CoNSTRucTioN^oF Trellis Screen .... -221 

62. Sections of Hedge 225 

63. Hedge Tops 226 

64. Planting Box Edging 227 

65. Edging Tile 230 

66. Brick Edgings 232 

67. The Plinth Brick as an Edging .... 233 

68. Stone Edgings — Sections 234 

j- Summer Houses 238, 240, 242, 244, 245, 247, 248 

^g' j- Arbours 249 



Pergolas 251, 252, 253 



79.) 
81. J 
82 ) 

I Arches 2SS> 256 

84. Trellis Panelling 258 

I Garden Seats 260, 261, 262 

87. ) 

88. Brick Platform for Seat 263 

89. Folding Seat 263 

90. Bridges 265 

\ Sundials 266, 268, 290 

93. ) 

94. Vases 271 

95. A Terra-cotta Vase 272 

96. A Wooden Box Vase 272 



Xll ILLUSTRATIONS 



^- Garden Plans 28; - 306 

129. ) 

130. Arrangement OF Herbaceous Border . 314" 





APPENDIX 








PAGE 


I. ) 


Garden Geometry .... 




XI. 1 


. , 4C9-4I3 


XII. 


The Trundler 


. ... 416 


XIIL 


The Snow Plough .... 


. . . . 416 


XIV. 


The Ring 


. ... 417 


X\". 


The Mixing Board .... 


. ... 417 


XVI. 


The Bridge 


. ... 418 


XVII. 


The Turf Beater .... 


. ... 418 


XVIII. 


Rain-Water Barrels . . . 


. .• . . 419 



GARDEN PLANNING 



\ 



GARDEN PLANNING 



CHAPTER I 

Introductory 

The planning of a garden is not the simple 
matter it may appear at first sight. It involves 
attention to many considerations connected 
with the character and position of the site 
and its surroundings, as well as to those ques- 
tions in which both horticulture and good taste 
play important parts. 

Each particular site presents a problem in 
itself, and the art of the garden maker must be 
exercised first in studying the factors, and then 
in permitting them to guide him to a good re- 
sult. What these factors are will appear 
when I come to details. It is sufficient at the 
outset to state that they include such inherent 
conditions as soil, position, aspect, and envi- 
ronment. 

Though garden making in a large measure 

3 



4 GARDEN PLANNING 

is controlled by principles based upon art, 
purely artistic considerations can only serve 
the designer when they are subordinated to 
the practical needs of horticulture. 

As in other branches of applied art utility 
claims first consideration, so in garden making 
the conditions which make for the welfare of 
the flowers, and the comfort and convenience 
of those who use the garden, must always 
receive attention. 

This does not imply that successful flower 
culture is the be-all and end-all of gardening, 
for that would be to ignore the beauty of the 
garden picture. It is possible, as I shall show, 
to give due weight to the picturesque, without 
in the slightest measure discounting the value 
of the garden from a horticultural standpoint. 
On the other hand, only too frequently the 
mistake is made of supposing that well-filled 
beds and borders, abundant blossom, and neatly 
kept grass and walks are the sole desiderata 
of gardening. If that were so, it were better 
to grow one's flowers as the market gardener 
grows his cabbages — in rows. Mere profu- 
sion of bloom will not condone any ill-planned 
garden. The gardening enthusiast is too apt 



INTRODUCTORY 5 

to permit his pride in the flowers to blind him 
to the value of a garden picture. He sees the 
individual but not the crowd. It were better 
he should adopt the standpoint of the landscape 
gardener, who thinks less of plants as plants 
than as elements in a composition, in the way 
of a painter of pictures. 

The garden, however small, is amenable to 
treatment on truly artistic principles, and the 
first thing to recognize is that it must be homo- 
geneous. It should appeal to the eye as a whole 
before it claims attention in detail. Every- 
thing in the garden must be interdependent, 
and the general picture must be distinguished 
by balance, unity of effect, and a studied har- 
mony of line and mass. 

If common-sense principles, based upon full 
knowledge and recognition of the governing 
factors of the problem, be allowed to control 
the design, the result will not only make for 
beauty, but gardening, in the sense of success- 
ful flower culture, will be agreeable and plain 
sailing. 

There must be no exaggeration of special 
features, no discordant note to worry the eye, 
no forcing of eflFects, The size of the garden 



6 



GARDEN PLANNING 



hardly enters into the question. It is just as 
easy, and just as difficult, to plan a large garden 
as a small one. The same general principles 
apply in both cases. It is largely a question 
of scale. 

Gardens which are made haphazard are 
rarely successful, yet the majority of small 
gardens have been so made. The inference is 
obvious. How often do we not see, from the 
vantage point of some suburban railway line, 
garden after garden in monotonous succession, 
all planned to a common type. Some may be 
neat and well kept, others neglected, but the 
outlines are the same in all, probably conceived 
and made by the speculative builder's fore- 
man, whose knowledge and skill can hardly 
be expected to rank high in this department 
of his work. 

When the gardener himself has taken the 
pains to model his garden to suit his own 
views of what it should be, the result is more 
often than not marred by mistakes which arise 
from hastiness and an inadequate knowledge 
of, or attention to, essentials. Possibly the 
commonest error is to ignore aspect, planning 
for symmetry, which is hardly ever consistent 



INTRODUCTORY 7 

with the best arrangement for flower growing 
in a plot of limited size. Another mistake 
is to over-elaborate, thereby destroying sim- 
plicity and breadth of effect. 

I do not intend to enumerate here all the 
shortcomings of the modern villa garden. I 
hope to make them sufficiently apparent when 
I enter into a more detailed statement of the 
principles which I believe should govern the 
planning of such gardens. Skilful planning, 
particularly when applied to gardens of limited 
size, includes economy of space, or, in other 
words, making the most of the space available. 
And this is only possible by giving proper 
consideration to aspect. 

The craze for symmetry prevails too strongly 
in modern garden planning. Grass and gravel 
are allowed to usurp positions best adapted 
to flower culture, whilst long stretches of bor- 
der in perpetual shade hold a few starved plants, 
whose sorry condition proclaims the futility 
of expecting nature to heed our notions of 
equal-sidedness. 

Sunshine, the life and soul of the vegetable 
kingdom, and the very first necessity for the 
flower, must have full access to our beds and 



8 



GARDEN PLANNING 



borders, and this is only to be contrived by 
placing them where the sunlight can reach 
them. Therefore it is a necessary preliminary 
to the planning of a small garden to observe 
which parts of it enjoy full sunshine and which 
parts lurk in perpetual shadow. The north 
side of the house or of a garden wall, in northern 
latitudes, receives no sunlight, and permanent 
shadows may be cast by trees and buildings 
on neighbouring premises. These shadows 
are as rocks to the careful navigator, things 
to be given a wide berth, unless circumstances 
(as in the case of redundant trees) permit of 
our bodily removing their cause. 



CHAPTER II 

The Factors in Detail 

The question of site is a highly important 
one from the gardener's standpoint. In the 
renting of a house so many considerations 
carry weight with the tenant that it is not 
always possible for him to be over-fastidious 
about the garden; though, if he have the choice 
between two or more houses, in other respects 
equally desirable, he will naturally decide upon 
that one which has the best garden site. If 
the house has been previously occupied he 
will find the garden already made., after a 
fashion; if not, the same may hold good. On 
the other hand he may find a stretch of virgin 
soil awaiting his good pleasure to give it shape. 
Whatever may have been done before he takes 
possession should not deter him from starting 
de novo, with the object of securing the best 
possible arrangement of the outlines before he 
commences to plant it. 

9 



lO 



GARDEN PLANNING 



In considering the desirability of a garden 
site under these circumstances the main thing 
is to see that the plot receives a fair measure 
of sunshine. With a house facing south, it 
is not possible to avoid a considerable shadow 
from the house itself, but intelligent planning 
will meet this case. A garden surrounded 
by a high wall also will have the disadvantage 
of the wall shadows on the southern boundaries. 

Naturally such questions arise most often 
in connection with town and suburban gardens 
where houses and gardens adjoin. In the 
open country different considerations may pre- 
sent- themselves. Most generally the country 
plot has no lack of sunshine. 

But other disabilities may exist, amongst 
which the absence of shelter may be the most 
important one. The tenant, therefore, should 
see how the site lies, both in relation to the 
prevailing winds and to the cold winds of 
winter and spring. 

Gales from the west and south-west are often 
very destructive to trees and plants by rea- 
son of their force alone. On the other hand, 
the cold winds from the north, north-east, 
and east do damage by their low temperature 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 



II 



and dryness, "cutting" and destroying young 
growth, and retarding the progress of plant 
life generally. The ideal site for a country 
plot, therefore, is one which is open to 
the south and preferably sloping slightly in 
that direction, partly sheltered by higher 
ground or trees to the west and south-west, 
and wholly sheltered to the north and north- 
east. Such sites are not easy to find, and in 
most cases the tenant has to be content with 
something short of what he would wish; but, as 
I shall show, he may do much by artificial means 
to make good the shortcomings of the site. 

Another point more likely to crop up in 
the country is the question of the dryness of 
the soil, which is intimately connected with 
its temperature, and thus affects the welfare 
of the flowers. The warmth of a site, other 
things being equal, is influenced by the nature 
of the soil. 

The following table, compiled by Schiibler, 
shows the relative heat-absorbing capacities 
of various soils, assuming lOO as the standard: 



Sand with some lime 
Pure sand 
Light clay 



lOO 

95-6 
76.9 



12 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Heavy clay 
Brick-earth 
Chalk 
Humus 



71. 1 
68.4 
61.8 
49.0 



The coldness of a damp site is due to the 
absorption of heat resulting from evaporation. 

When the prospective garden owner is able to 
purchase rather than merely to rent the prop- 
erty the question of the garden site may well 
receive more earnest consideration. 

Individual tastes differ greatly on the ques- 
tion of what is or is not a valuable site. One 
person may desire seclusion, and on that 
account may prefer his small domain circum- 
scribed by natural limits to the view; 
another may value the panoramic prospect to 
be obtained from an eminence, finding the 
pleasures of his garden enhanced by the land- 
scape beyond. 

Other considerations may have weight, but 
in all cases the proximity of an eyesore in the 
immediate surroundings is to be avoided. 
Ugly buildings, waste land scattered with 
rubbish, small property inhabited by unde- 
sirable people, a cemetery, factory, or gas 
works should disqualify an otherwise desirable 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 1 3 

site, unless it were feasible to screen those 
objects by artificial means. 

Thus far I have dealt with questions exter- 
nal to the site. The next thing is to examine 
the land with a view to discovering its intrin- 
sic fitness for its purpose as a garden. 

A house perched upon a hilltop, or in the 
centre of a treeless field, has a bleak, forbid- 
ding aspect, which it may take many years to 
redeem. It is therefore a great gain if the 
plot includes some well-grown trees, which 
may be utilized for shelter, and which will 
at once confer a certain distinction on the site. 
The presence of old hedgerows and bushes 
should also be welcomed, as it is often possible 
to utilize them in the garden scheme. 

The contour of the ground is an important 
point. Sites, particularly if of limited extent, 
which embrace considerable slopes are dis- 
appointing, and present difficulties to the 
gardener which he had best avoid. On the 
other hand, variety of contour is a gain, offer- 
ing suggestions for picturesque treatment and 
giving character to the garden picture. A 
uniform slope, if slight and in a southerly direc- 
tion, is preferable to a dead level, as it ensures 



14 GARDEN PLANNING 

natural drainage; but when a tennis lawn is a 
sine qua non it is desirable that some portion 
of the ground should be level, or have only 
a moderate slope; otherwise much expense 
will be entailed in excavating and banking up, 
and the artificial contours thus created will 
become unduly obtrusive. Happy the gar- 
dener v/ho is content to forego this feature, 
which rarely harmonizes with the other ele- 
ments of the garden plan, and more often than 
not usurps space that otherwise could be 
utilized with advantage to the garden picture. 

In further considering the desirability of a 
given site it is well to try to fix provisionally 
the position for the house, which in most cases 
will be suggested by the lay of the ground 
and by its aspect; and, having done so, to 
endeavour to form a mental picture of the 
main elements of the garden, giving due weight 
to the natural features of the ground and its 
surroundings as factors in the arrangement. 
By doing so it is possible to judge just how 
far it is likely to meet one's ideal. 

In a comparatively small plot the process 
w^ill be a simple one. In a large plot the matter 
may involve more difficulty, as alternative 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 1 5 

positions for the house will suggest themselves 
and call for consideration. No decision should 
be made until the possibilities of the site 
have been thoroughly tested from every stand- 
point. 

The question of the house site is so closely 
linked up with the treatment of the garden 
that I strongly advise this preliminary survey 
before purchasing the plot. 

Soil — Reference has already been made 
to the relative heat-absorbing qualities of 
various soils. In forming a judgment on the 
suitability of a particular site for gardening 
purposes it is essential to ascertain the nature, 
not only of the surface or top soil, but of 
the subsoil. This can only be done by having 
a trench dug, say, at least four feet deep. If 
the plot is of considerable extent, a series of 
trenches should be opened out at various 
points, because soils, and subsoils particularly, 
may vary even within the comparatively 
restricted limits of a garden site. 

The surface soil is not always very closely 
related to the subsoil, so that even those accus- 
tomed to forming a judgment on the subject 
may be misled by a superficial examination. 



i6 



GARDEN PLANNING 



A good criterion of the relative warmth of 
soils is available in winter when snow has 
fallen. That ground from which the snow 
soonest disappears 'is obviously the warmest. 
Information on this particular point generally 
may be obtained from local people well ac- 
quainted with the site. 

A stiff clay subsoil is to be avoided, as it is 
not amenable to effective drainage. Sand, 
gravel, and light loams are preferable to clay 
soils, but where clay and sand are found in 
admixture, as in some of the clay loam types 
the condition would not preclude good garden- 
ing; indeed, the rose grower would find a soil 
of this description one of the best for his 
particular purpose. 

The dryness of a site depends mainly upon 
the facility with which the rain-water can 
percolate through the soil, and the distance 
from the surface of the subsoil Water. Clay 
is relatively impervious to water; consequently, 
when a layer of this material is found near 
the surface, the surface soil will be either 
water-logged or baked to dryness, according 
to weather and rainfall. 

A gravelly soil of considerable depth on a 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL I7 

gentle slope, all things considered, is the best, 
as such a soil is drained naturally. If topped 
with good loam, with not too liberal an ad- 
mixture of stones, it is an ideal one for the 
gardener. 

A coarse gravel subsoil is not objectionable, 
provided the surface soil has sufficient depth 
to admit of proper tillage. It is not unusual, 
however, tO' find gravel overlaid with the 
merest film of loam, in which case the land 
would be unsuitable for general gardening 
purposes, unless the purchaser were prepared 
to spend money in importing material for his 
flower beds and borders. 

Soils overlying rocky formations m.ust be 
judged by their quality and depth. When 
the surface soil is shallow, and the rock imper- 
vious to water, they suffer from the same dis- 
abilities as stiff clay land. 

The presence of stones in the surface soil, 
generally associated with a gravelly subsoil, 
but not uncommonly with stony clays, is no 
great detriment; but if they are in sufficient 
quantity to hamper the gardener he would 
have to resort to picking or screening to reduce 
their number. On sloping ground the stones 



i8 



GARDEN PLANNING 



will be found in greater quantity at the lower 
levels, particularly if the land has been in 
cultivation. 

Light, sandy soils suffer from drought, and 
involve labour and expense in heavy manuring. 
Much may be done by the gardener to improve 
a. naturally undesirable soil. Light soils may 
be treated with clay or muck, and clay 
soils with sand, ashes, and other light, porous 
materials. By these additions the nature 
of the surface layer may be modified and 
rendered more amenable to tillage; but no 
treatment of the surface will meet the case if 
the subsoil is unsuitable. These operations 
necessarily imply outlay, which in a large 
garden may be a heavy one. It is therefore 
advisable, when the purchaser has a choice 
of sites, to select one on which the soil is neither 
too heavy nor too light. 

Another point in the selection of a site is to 
avoid made ground the composition of which 
may be anything from gas lime to meat tins. 
A site of this kind would afford many un- 
pleasant surprises to the gardener, and might 
be perfectly hopeless for horticulture. Made 
ground which has long remained undisturbed — 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 



19 



and it is not often offered for sale when newly 
made — is generally so thickly covered with 
surface growth that its character is not super- 
ficially apparent. Here again the trial trench 
suggests itself as a wise precaution. 

Peat land does not constitute a good site, 
because the existence of peat implies water- 
logging. Drainage, however, may be effectual 
in converting it into a good garden, always pro- 
vided that the nature of the subsoil permits 
of draining it thoroughly. 

Land which has recently been in cultivation, 
either as arable or garden ground, is in most 
cases preferable to pasture; because it has a 
greater depth of surface soil, and constant 
working and manuring have brought it to the 
best consistency for the gardener's purpose. 

On the other hand, pasture has certain ad- 
vantages. There may be some additional 
labour needed to bring the soil into working 
condition, but against that it may be possible 
to preserve part of the pasture as grass, and 
thus avoid the necessity for turfing or sowing. 

Aspect — In gardens of small size the ques- 
tion of aspect is perhaps the most important 
factor for the gardener to consider, because 



20 



GARDEN PLANNING 



the size of his garden will be measured, not so 
much by length and breadth as by the amount 
of space which receives full sunlight. Aspect 
also is the key to the successful planning of 
the small garden, as I shall show when I come 
to treat the garden design in detail. 

/ shall have to refer repeatedly to the aspect 
of a site by the points of the compass, and to 
prevent possible confusion I had better here state 
that I shall, in every case, employ the term to 
express that point to zuhich the house front^^ is 
directed. 

The sun in our latitude passes from east 
to west by a sweep to the south. Thus the 
north side of houses, trees, and other fixed 
objects receive absolutely no sunshine, whilst 
the east and west sides receive sun only in 
the morning and evening respectively. 

These are cardinal facts to be borne in mind 
by all who undertake to plan a garden of re- 
stricted size. 

I can best illustrate the relative values of 
aspect by a series of diagrams, the study of 
which should serve to make the matter clear. 

In these three figures I have shown the 
shadow traces of the house and garden walls, 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 



21 



distinguishing full shadow from partial shadow 
by the depth of shading. 

A southern aspect implies that flower culture 




Fig. I. — Diagrams illustrating aspect 



will be discounted in the space immediately 
to the rear of the house. But if the gardener 
has a fancy for good flower effects in the 
fore-court, or front lawn, he should select a 
southern aspect. An eastern or western aspect 



22 



GARDEN PLANNING 



will give a shady strip on the north side of the 
house, which may be good or bad according to 
circumstances. It is best that the shady 
side should be that on which the kitchen 
and its offices are situated, thus admitting of 
flower growing at the side of the house upon 
which the living rooms look out. 

These shadow diagrams represent a mean of 
what would actually be found. The altitude 
of the sun varies according to season, as well 
as time of day, and thus the shadow of a wall 
running east and west will be narrowest at 
noon in midsummer and widest in the morning 
and afternoon in midwinter. The shadow of 
the house will vary in like manner for the 
same reason. 

In open country sites, where considerations 
of privacy do not carry so much weight, walls 
and fences need not be so high, and their 
shadows, therefore, would be practically negli- 
gible. At the same time, the shadow question 
must not be overlooked, as trees and other 
fixed objects may exist on the site or in its 
immediate vicinity. 

The House in Relation to the Site — When 
the purchaser of a building plot decides upon 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 23 

the position for his house, he rarely gives 
thought to the question of how the garden will 
be affected. He assumes that it may be mod- 
elled to fit in with the house. It is better to 
take both factors into consideration when 
placing the house upon its site, because they are 
closely correlated. In these days of narrow 
frontages there is little latitude in a direction 
transverse to the length of the plot, and, if 
economy of garden space is to be considered, 
the purchaser must give careful thought to 
the placing of his house, so that he may not 
be hampered when he comes to make his 
garden. This question will be governed largely 
by aspect, but to some extent by the tastes of 
the gardener. 

A fore-court is always desirable, if only to 
ensure that the road dust does not find access 
to the house. In a thoroughfare used fey auto- 
mobiles it is a necessity. It is also useful for 
securing a measure of privacy. With a north- 
ern aspect the house shadow will preclude 
any ambitious gardening display in the fore- 
court, and there is no need to allot more space 
to it than may be required to secure the two 
objects just mentioned. 



24 GARDEN PLANNING 

On the other hand, with a southern aspect 
the fore-court should not be stinted in space, 
for it cannot be questioned that flowers about 
the house front not only enhance the good 
appearance of the house, but constitute a valu- 
able charm in the outlook from the front 
windows. 

A detached house should not be set centrally 
in the width of the plot, because that would 
divide the garden space on either side into two 
equal portions not equally well conditioned 
for flower culture. It is better to place it so 
that the widest space is on the sunny side. 

When the ground falls toward the road- 
way it may be desirable to place the house 
on the higher ground at the back of the plot, 
thus bringing the principal garden space to 
the front. 

All these points call for careful consideration 
before a decision is made, as upon that deci- 
sion will depend the subsequent success or 
non-success of the garden. 

Houses set askew — i. e., obliquely to the 
garden boundaries — on small plots rarely 
look well, and the arrangement creates no little 
difficulty when the task of designing the garden 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 



has to be undertaken. I am strongly opposed 
to any conditions which necessitate the use 
of triangular areas as elements in the garden 




Fig. 2. — Houses on plots of irregular shape 

design, because such shapes invariably suggest 
formality, and have other disadvantages. 

When the plot is bounded by converging 
lines it is usually best to set the house with 
its sides parallel with that boundary which 
most nearly makes a right angle with the road 
line; but in some cases it may be best to set 
the house front parallel with the roadway, 
ignoring the side boundaries. 



26 



GARDEN PLANNING 



In plots of more irregular shape the question 
must be settled according to circumstances. 

From the foregoing it will be seen how inti- 
mately the position of the house in relation 
to the shape and size of the plot is bound up 
with the garden plan. 

It is not unusual for house builders to defer 
consideration of the garden until the architect 
and builder have completed their work. The 
garden designer is then called in, and has to 
make the best of those spaces which are left 
to him. A wiser course is to bring architect 
and garden designer together in the first in- 
stance, so that they may exchange notes, and 
each work out his plan in accordance with 
such decisions as they may mutually agree 
upon. Such a course is eminently to the advan- 
tage of the owner of the site, who thereby 
secures a consistent design for house and 
garden. A thorough understanding between 
the two craftsmen lightens the task of both, 
and precludes an incongruous result. 

A further point is the question of outlay to 
be made on the garden. This is usually as- 
sumed to be so small an item in the total 
outlay that it is left out of consideration 



THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 27 

altogether. The result is that the house 
builder discovers that the expense of building, 
with the inevitable "extras," has mounted up 
to such a sum that he must perforce economize 
on the garden. Then it is that, with mistaken 
views as to the economy of the transaction, 
he calls in the help of a local nurseryman 
to "lay out" his garden, and in the long 
run pays a larger bill than he would have 
incurred had he secured the services of a 
competent designer, at the same time securing 
an indifferent result. The nurseryman who 
works out his own plan, charges what he 
likes, whereas, if a properly prepared plan is 
available, the house owner may obtain competi- 
tive prices from two or more nurserymen, and 
make a contract for the work on the best 
terms. 

The cost of a good design is a trifling 
sum on the total outlay, and it invariably 
justifies itself. 



CHAPTER III 



The Garden Picture 

The design of a garden should take its 
general character from the local conditions and 
environment. In the first instance, it must be 
adapted to the special requirements of the 
gardener. If he is his own designer, he will, 
of course, always have these requirements 
in mind; if another makes the design, the 
gardener cannot be too clear in specifying his 
exact requirements. 

The natural conditions of the ground must 
be well studied. The contours, slope, and 
aspect of the plot are the first factors to be 
considered, and these will offer the first sug- 
gestions for its treatment. The shape of its 
boundaries will be important, and equally 
so the position and shape of the house. 

The aim of the designer should be to bring 
all these factors into a consistent and pleasing 
combination, in which the garden and house 

28 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 



29 



are in entire harmony with each other. Here 
it will be well to warn the designer new to 
the work against planning for mere effect on 
paper. The lines of the plan, representing as 
they do the projection of the design on the 
horizontal plane only, have little meaning if 
they are not intimately correlated with some 
effect in the third dimension. A garden at 
all stages of its development should be a 
thing of height as well as of length and 
breadth. It is only by studying the effect 
in the vertical plane that a successful and 
artistic result is realizable. The plan is a 
skeleton affair, merely defining the spaces 
to be devoted to borders, beds, grass, and 
gravel. 

The designing of a garden is a process akin 
to the artist's conception and execution of a 
picture. It is governed by principles identical 
with those understood by the painter as com- 
position," which may be defined as a general 
balance of effect obtained without the use of 
a too marked symmetry in the principal 
features of the design. 

To ensure practical realization of this effect, 
therefore, the designer must ever bear in mind 



30 GARDEN PLANNING 

the plants — flowers, trees, and shrubs — 
with which his outlines will be filled in. 

It may be noted also that he has it within 
his option to supplement these natural factors 
by others of an artificial kind, such as summer 
houses, arches, pergolas, and other minor 
structures which have a well-recognized place 
in the garden. 

I cannot too strongly urge the importance 
of eliminating symmetry from the general 
garden picture; not only because it precludes 
a picturesque effect, but for the practical 
reason that it is rarely consistent with a design 
which gives due weight to the all-important 
factor, aspect. 

Many complaints of undue formality have 
their basis in the existence of a meaningless 
symmetry. In observing these injunctions 
against symmetry it must not be understood 
that they apply with the same force to details. 
On the contrary, the treatment of certain 
parts of the garden may be governed with 
advantage by considerations of symmetry. 
For instance, in introducing a group of beds 
for effect on the lawn, a one-sided arrange- 
ment would be opposed to good practice, 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 



31 



particularly if associated with a grass plot of 
regular shape. 

Just what constitutes formality, as usually 
understood, it may be well here to discuss. It 
may arise from several causes. Unquestion- 
ably the most common one is symmetry 
in the general lines of the design. Another 
cause may be injudicious planting, particularly 
when the gardener has not adopted means of 
building up a well-considered picture in the 
vertical plane. Such mistakes only need to 
be recognized to be corrected. Trees planted 
sentinel-wise, at equal distances from a central 
feature, will produce a formal effect. They 
would be better arranged so that no two sub- 
tend the same angle in the line of sight (see 
Fig. 31). The repetition of some conspicuous 
feature at regular intervals also makes for 
formality, an error not infrequently made in 
planting with conifers and other evergreens. 

Complexity in detail may suggest formality, 
by proclaiming too insistently the artificial 
character of the garden. Still another cause 
is neglect to preserve a proper scale in the 
various details. It might be concluded that 
the use of straight lines and right angles would 



32 GARDEN PLANNING 

lead inevitably to a formal result. Such is 
not the case. On the contrary, in small gar- 
dens the use of straight lines,, in combination 
with a studied simplicity of treatment, is the 
most efficient means of securing an informal 
result, because it enables the designer to har- 
monize his plan with the shape of the garden 
boundaries. 

On the other hand, the use of curved lines 
may only serve to render too conspicuous 
the rigid outlines of these boundaries. I shall 
deal with this part of the subject in more detail 
in the next chapter. 

I must here emphasize the value of variety 
— variety in outline and variety in shape — as 
opposed to too frequent repetition of similar 
shapes, and variety in planting so as to secure 
a good effect in the vertical plane. 

Such variety must be carefully thought out, 
and made to give character to the garden as 
a whole. This does not imply over-elaboration, 
about which I have already warned the reader, 
nor is it opposed to simplicity of treatment. 
It is just the avoidance of undue repetition 
of lines and shapes. 

Another factor in the attainment of the 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 33 

picturesque is what I may term "reticence." 
It is not well to aim at giving too comprehen- 
sive a view of the garden from any one point. 
The planning should be so contrived that the 
various garden features are seen one at a time 
as it is traversed from end to end. This may 
be arranged by judicious screening, for v/hich 
trees, shrubs, arches, trellises, and other objects 
may be employed. Much may be done in the 
planting to attain this very desirable quality. 
A long herbaceous border, filled with flowers 
carefully graded in height, the tall ones all 
standing at the back and the short ones in 
front, presents a rather monotonous vista. 
Its charm is greatly enhanced if the process 
is partly reversed, so that here and there a 
bold clump of flower or foliage is allowed to 
push forward, thereby screening what lies 
beyond; and incidentally this arrangement 
has value in affording shelter to the smaller 
and more tender plants lying between their 
robuster companions. 

Nothing is more delightful than to pass 
along such a border, finding something new and 
unexpected every few yards. 

Again, the garden may be divided up into 



34 



GARDEN PLANNING 



separate compartments, each to come into full 
view only when it is entered. Passing down 
between well-filled borders, we may thread a 
pergola clustered with flowering climbers, to 
reach an old-fashioned garden which, in turn, 
leads to a shady grass plot, or, by another 
flower-flanked path, to the vegetable garden. 
Each section of the garden is complete in 
itself yet wedded to its neighbour, each a 
separate factor in the complete picture, and 
all united in a consistent and harmonious 
whole. 

The task of the designer does not stop at 
this point. He has other factors to consider. 
It is essential that the picture should not be 
merely a group of closed-in compartments. 
He must contrive a series of vistas, which, 
whilst giving pleasant peeps from certain 
points, convey a sense of space. In other 
words, the treatment must include that artistic 
quality known as "breadth." This is to be 
attained in part by the opening up of vistas, 
and in part by simplicity of character in the 
principal details of the design. 

One frequently hears the term "a natural 
garden." I may here state that a natural 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 35 

garden within the limits of four square boundary 
walls, in the sense of a garden which shall 
deceive the spectator into believing that he 
is looking at a piece of pure nature, is unattain- 
able. Nor is it desirable that we should 
strive to make such a garden. Yet Nature 
cannot be left out of the question. The 
gardener provides the home and the tenant, 
and there his work ends. He must rely upon 
the hand of Nature to fill in the outlines, which 
she can do far better than he can tell her. 

It should ever be remembered that the 
highest art is that which conceals art. The 
effects which we create in our gardens, there- 
fore, must be so contrived as not to reveal 
too patently the means by which they are 
produced. By the observance of this principle 
we get the nearest approach to a natural garden, 
inasmuch as the examples of nature's work 
then impress us more strikingly than the work 
of the garden designer — and this is as it 
should be. 

I must now refer to a further quality which 
it is important to introduce into the garden, 
viz., repose. Repose is closely correlated with 
breadth of treatment, but it also involves a 



36 



GARDEN PLANNING 



proper proportioning of the main elements of 
the design, the borders, grass, and walks. 

As regards the walks, it is only necessary 
to see that they exist for a definite purpose 
(not merely because the designer thinks they 
help the outlines on his paper plan) and that 
they do not sprawl aimlessly about the plot, 
cutting it up into awkward shapes. 

Grass, more than any other feature, helps 
to secure a feeling of repose. As far as possible 
it should exist in a single stretch, or at least 
it should not consist of a number of scattered 
pieces. 

Apart from questions of tennis and croquet, 
the grass is a valuable background to the 
flowers; a place where the feet may escape the 
"crunch" of gravel, and one may find perhaps a 
corner bathed in shadow, from which to look 
out upon one aspect of the garden picture, 
or to enjoy one's thoughts or thoughts of 
another between the covers of a book. 

Let the grass, therefore, take its proper 
place, and be duly proportioned to the rest. 
And so with the beds and borders. It is little 
short of vandalism to fret the lawn into a 
lace-work of fantastically fashioned beds, in 



^FHE GARDEN PICTURE 37 

which geometry is invoked to provide the 
gardener with inspiration. Nature does not 
grow her flower groups within the rigid limits 
of five-pointed stars, crescents, and crosses. 
Beds in grass are sometimes admirable features 
in the general scheme, if modelled on simple 
shapes. The more elaborate the form of the 
bed the more time and labour will be expended 
in preserving its geometry, and the less enjoy- 
ment will be derived from the flowers. The 
maker of stars and crescents, moreover, 
should realize that an acute angle is an awk- 
ward one to which to adapt his flowers, and 
that to preserve the outlines of such beds it 
is necessary to fill them with puny plants, 
which, by constant pinching, are prevented 
from developing their natural charm of form 
and character. The result is that the bed is 
exalted above the flower, and the whole device 
becomes a mere formal patch of colour, ex- 
citing no more worthy emotion than an admira- 
tion for the gardener's patience and skill with 
the turf trimmer. Better to adopt a simple 
circle, square, or rectangle and to be not 
too particular if the flowers spread on to the 
grass, so long as they grow under natural 



38 



GARDEN PLANNING 



conditions and yield their harvest of blossom. 
The outlines they create under such treatment 
blend softly with the turf, and are far more 
sightly than the hard edges fresh from the 
trimming tool. 

I have already made it clear that the garden 
design must grow out of the garden itself, 
and this is only another way of saying that 
the garden must harmonize with its site and 
surroundings. There may be some conspicuous 
natural feature on the site which would furnish 
a theme for the designer — a knoll, a drop in 
level, or the presence of a natural pond or 
stream. Whatever it be, it may be utilized 
as a basis on which to build up the other details. 
The house also may provide the theme, and 
then the garden must be designed to harmonize 
with its outlines and character. 

A house permitted to stand up bleak and 
naked from an expanse of gravel or turf will 
always wear an aspect of aloofness from the 
garden. The first care of the designer, there- 
fore, should be to fill in the angles where the 
house rises above the ground, either by the 
use of shrubs, or by placing borders against 
the house wall, as circumstances may dictate. 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 39 

Preconceived ideas, acquired before the site 
has been thoroughly surveyed, should not 
be allowed to influence the designer. Your 
neighbour's garden may be a model of good 
taste and successful horticulture, but, slavishly 
copied on another site, may be a dismal failure. 

The picturesque character of a garden may 
be marred as much by sins of commission as 
by sins of omission. There are gardens in 
which no expense has been spared to ensure 
a splendid succession of bloom, utterly ruined 
by the introduction of garish and incongruous 
accessories. The smaller the plot, the stronger 
apparently the temptation to import these 
eyesores. The garden maker cannot be too 
watchful against the use of inharmonious 
features. Such accessories as summer houses, 
arches, pergolas, dials, and garden seats should 
be designed to suit the garden, and their 
details and mode of construction should be 
simple and unostentatious. Paint should be 
sparingly used, if at all, and its colour should 
be chosen so as not to compete with the flowers. 
I have seen a wide expanse of trellis painted 
canary yellow, which for crudity and ill-taste 
would be hard to match, yet the perpetrator 



40 GARDEN PLANNING 

was content to grow nasturtiums upon it, 
quite unconscious of having outraged the 
canons of art. 

The so-called "rustic" work is rarely in 
good taste. If the summer house is to be 
decorated, what better means can be found 
than allowing some pretty creeper to scramble 
over it, softening its outline and loading it 
with bloom 

Terra-cotta, china, and cast-iron vases should 
be used with caution. They are generally out 
of scale in a small garden, and never quite 
satisfactory unless associated with a terrace 
wall, or some similar structure. In most 
cases their place could be taken by stout 
oaken tubs, with advantages on the score of 
appearance. 

The gardener must be hoplessly depraved 
if he admit such objects as minerals, mechanical 
models, and sea-shells into his garden. If he 
possesses any of these curiosities let him find 
a place for them apart in a special museum. 

Given discretion in excluding the inartistic 
and incongruous, there may be still room for 
mistakes in the use of garden accessories. 
They may be selected so as not to be in proper 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 4 1 

scale with the garden, or with that part of 
the garden in which they are to be installed. 
In these matters the designer's instincts must 
guide him to the attainment of what is correct. 
Good proportion is largely a matter of intuition, 
though a sense of fitness may come from 
knowledge and good sense. Let the garden 
maker decide as far as possible by the help 
of both. The golden rules are: 

Use before ornament. 
Simplicity, 
Appropriateness. 
Sound construction. 
Scale. 

As every garden picture must have a focus, 
or, in other words, a point of interest to which 
the eye will naturally direct itself before it 
can properly appreciate the general effect, 
I attach much value to the summer house as 
a suitable device for the purpose. It makes 
a very natural terminal to the principal path, 
and is therefore "led up to" in such a way as 
to enhance its usefulness for this purpose. 
Again, the pointed roof is admirably adapted 
for constituting the apex or summit of the 
garden picture. This particularly applies to 



42 GARDEN PLANNING 

new gardens, before it is possible to utilize 
the trees as conspicuous elements in the picture. 
A well-constructed summer house, weather- 
proof, and placed so that its open side is in 
shade, is a most desirable addition to any- 
garden, however small, both as a picturesque 
feature in the design and as a useful retreat 
in hot or rainy weather. 

Of other garden accessories I shall have 
occasion to treat in their proper place. 

Though I am writing in the main in the in- 
terest of flower lovers, I shall make reference 
to the kitchen garden, and here I may point 
out that it is often feasible to so wed it to the 
flower ground that it materially helps the 
garden picture. In small gardens, where the 
owner desires to reserve a plot for vegetables, 
the apparent size of the garden is reduced if 
the vegetable ground is screened off. On the 
other hand, if left in full view, it contrasts 
too conspicuously with the flower ground. 

It is best to take both factors into considera- 
tion when making the garden design, and, by 
means which I shall describe in detail later 
on, to blend flower and kitchen garden into 
harmony. In this way the garden vistas may 



THE GARDEN PICTURE 43 

be lengthened without curtailing the vegetable 
space, and even the tenants of the latter may 
be made in some measure to contribute to the 
garden picture, particularly if fruit is grown. 

There are certain practical considerations 
in town and suburban gardens which demand 
that the vegetables should be grown in that 
part of the plot most remote from the house. 
If fruit trees be planted in the kitchen plot, 
the blossom in its season is valuable at a time 
when the flower garden is but little advanced 
toward its summer display. 

There is only one other point to emphasize, 
and that has reference to garden management 
rather than to garden making. Yet it is 
worth noting. I refer to what some gardeners 
call "tidiness." The striving after a neat, 
trim, and well-kept garden is apt to lead the 
gardener into a ruthless trimming and pinching 
of plants. It is one of the things which can 
be too well done. The truly artistic garden 
is one in which the plant has full scope to de- 
velop its character. It wants elbow-room, 
and has no respect for artificial boundaries. It 
is a sin to curb and mutilate the plant because, 
forsooth, it pushes out its foliage across the 



44 GARDEN PLANNING 

path. Rather let it enjoy its liberty. The 
occasional plant which has more than repaid 
your care by exceeding its neighbour in vigour 
of growth deserves encouragement. Let it 
sprawl in reason. It will soften the edge 
of your border and redeem the straightness 
of its line. I would even designedly place 
certain plants so that they may behave in 
this manner. 

And, lastly, beware of the too liberal prun- 
ing of trees and shrubs. Nature is always right. 
She gives a character to each one of her crea- 
tions, which is its birthright. To trim all trees 
to a uniform shape, like the wooden models in 
a child's Noah's Ark, is to destroy their indi- 
viduality and charm, and to introduce the 
very essence of formality into the garden. 



CHAPTER IV 



The Rectilinear Principle 

I NOW propose to enter more intimately 
into the practical details of garden design- 
ing. The suburban garden is usually a rectangle. 
Its four boundaries are straight lines, and its 
area is so restricted that these boundaries 
are only too obvious to the person standing 
within them. 

The house is square at its angles, squarely 
placed within the garden boundaries, and 
rightly so. Thus the problem of designing 
the details of the garden is encompassed by 
conditions which demand special consideration. 
We cannot ignore the fact that the skeleton 
on which we have to build our garden plan 
is a thing of straight lines and right angles. 
The problem, therefore, for the garden designer 
is to evolve a style of planning that will best 
harmonize with these elements, which by no 
ingenuity of contrivance can be suppressed. 

45 



46 



GARDEN PLANNING 



The treatment I advocate is based upon the 
use of straight lines, and experience has shown 
that it is the only successful method of solving 
the problem. I have termed it the ^''rectilinear 
principle." It might, at first sight, appear to 
imply the very essence of formality, but, under 
careful scrutiny, this objection disappears. 
Let us consider the alternative: this would 
involve the use of curves or irregular lines, 
which would at once establish a new factor 
in the problem. The curA'es might be laid 
doAvn with the utmost skill with a view to 
obtaining a unity inter se, but they would 
individually and collectively remain in perma- 
nent discord with the rectilinear boundaries, 
emphasizing their squareness. 

It should be understood that the problem 
under consideration is the planning of a garden 
of moderate size, to which type of garden alone 
I should apply the rectilinear treatment. 

On garden plots of larger size, even if 
bounded by straight lines, the case is different. 
Usually means may be adopted in such cases 
to sufhciently mask the fences or walls, which, 
owing to the larger area of the plot, would 
never be obtrusive. 



THE RECTILINEAR PRINCIPLE 47 

I claim no novelty for the rectilinear system. 
In some form or other it has been in use by 
garden planners since the days of the ancient 
Egyptians, but not always applied in a way 
to secure the best possible results. Modern 
gardeners, having acquired a horror of formal 
effect, have sought to avoid it by the introduc- 
tion of winding paths and sinuous edges to 
their borders. My object is to show that 
these devices do not achieve their purpose, 
but rather defeat it. 

The question of formality in a small garden 
must be tackled in another way. 

The use of straight lines does not preclude 
variety and the other factors which make for 
picturesque effect. But when allied to an 
obvious symmetry it does engender formality. 
Therefore I exclude from the rectilinear system 
any arrangement which gives equal-sidedness 
to the garden. 

These points will be better appreciated 
by reference to Fig. 3. 

At A is shown the type of garden only too 
common. I may call it the rectangular sym- 
metrical style. It has crystaUized into a 
permanent feature in many city lots. Its faults 



48 GARDEN PLANNING 

are many and obvious. It is not correlated 
with aspect, and therefore does not make the 
most of the space. Such a garden would 
handicap the flower grower. Its symmetry 
is too pronounced to be capable of being 
masked in the planting. Its circuit path is 




ABC 



Fig. 3. — Garden styles compared 

a waste of gravel and a waste of space. It has 
no distinction, and it would elude the gardener 



THE RECTILINEAR PRINCIPLE 49 

who sought to make it picturesque in the 
fullest sense. 

B is the garden which hopes to avoid for- 
mality by the use of curves, but fails in its 
mission because its lines are out of harmony 
with its boundaries. 

C is a simple application of the rectilinear 
principle, based upon a careful consideration 
of aspect. In the last example it will be 
seen that the principal borders enjoy full sun, 
that the main lines are parallel with the 
boundary fences, and therefore appear as a 
natural suggestion from those boundaries; 
that the path has a definite purpose — to take 
the traffic where the attraction of the flowers 
leads it — and that it begins and ends some- 
where. The grass is confined to a single area, 
and includes no shapes which would be difficult 
to attack with a mower. The keynote is 
simplicity, which implies dignity and harmony. 
Such a garden could be planted with the best 
results in securing a really artistic general 
effect. 

It may be remarked, to prevent misappre- 
hension, that this design is capable of con- 
siderable modification to suit circumstances. 



50 GARDEN PLANNING 

It is adapted in this case to a north-east aspect. 
For other aspects the positions of the borders 
would be altered, and other details would need 
modification. 

Apart from the more important advantages 
already mentioned it is clear that it has 
others of minor moment, yet desirable from 
the gardener's point of view. The edging of 
straight borders is always more easily managed 
than that of curved ones. Stone or concrete 
edges take truer lines, and are more easily kept 
in place. The trimming of grass edges can 
always be controlled by a stretched cord. 
A straight path is the shortest route between 
any two points. 

In the next following chapters I shall show 
in more detail how the rectilinear system 
may be applied to the making of a really 
picturesque garden. 



4 



CHAPTER V 



The Elements of the Garden Plan 

There are three main factors in the garden 
plan — the beds, the walks, and the grass. 

In the evolution of the garden design the 
beds (in which term I include borders) should 
receive first consideration. They may well 
occupy more space than is usually allowed 
them. The narrow strips of border so often 
seen skirting the fences of suburban gardens 
are practically useless for flower culture. A 
width of six feet is not too much for the 
principal border, and it should, if possible, 
be in full sun. If the main path defines its 
near boundary, another border parallel to it 
may be made on the other side of the path 
but narrower, say four feet wide. This dis- 
parity in width is designed to secure variety 
and to eliminate one - sidedness. Two such 
borders, the wide one planted with shrubs and 
herbaceous plants, the narrow one with surface- 
si 



52 



GARDEN PLANNING 



growing flowers, become complementary, and 
offer opportunity for many charming effects, 
and for the creation of a fine vista. The narrow 
border would on one side abut on the grass 
plot, and short transverse extensions of it 
might be carried into the grass area to break 
its inner line and to extend the flower space 
laterally. Such offshoots from a long border 
become partial screens, helping to secure 
that quality which I have already referred 
to as "reticence." 

It is by no means necessary that every border 
should be served by a path. On the con- 
trary, variety of effect is assisted by intro- 
ducing a border between the grass and the 
boundary fence, say on the side of the garden 
opposite to the main walk. These points I 
shall further elucidate when I come to consider 
special examples. The main point I wish to 
emphasize at this stage is that the borders, 
in which the gardener aims at securing his 
principal flower display, should be in full sun, 
and served by the principal path. I also 
desire to make it clear that these borders must 
be the dominating factor in the design, for 
it is not too much to say that they constitute 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 53 



the garden in the truest sense of the word. 
The path is for utility, the grass for repose, and 
both must ever be subordinate to the beds 
and borders. Hence we cannot give too careful 
thought to the latter. 

Just how the further elaboration of the 
scheme is contrived after the positions of the 
principal borders have been determined will 
depend upon circumstances and the fancy of 
the garden maker. If the garden is of con- 
siderable length it may be advisable to divert 
the path before it has traversed the full extent 
of the plot. How this may be done without 
sacrificing the welfare of the flowers, and with 
best results to the garden picture, will appear 
hereafter. I mention it here as one of the 
legitimate devices for securing a desirable 
quality in the plan. The introduction of 
detached beds also is a matter in which the 
taste of the designer must be his most trust- 
worthy guide. 

An expedient I have often employed is to 
allow the path to expand into a square at some 
point of its length, and to install a square bed 
in its centre. This is a very convenient 
device when it is required to effect a slight 



54 GARDEN PLANNING 

deviation in the path without altering its 
direction, as the path may enter the square 
at one corner, and leave it by the diagonally 
opposite corner. (Fig. 4.) Beds 
in grass, when set near its 
boundary, should be allowed 
a verge of at least eighteen 
inches, to prevent difficulties 
in mowing. The use of circles 
and parts of circles, as well as 
of figures in which the angles 
are equal and not less than 
a right angle — the hexagon, 
for example — is not opposed 
Fig. 4 — Expansion to the rectilinear system of 
of path treatment. They become mere 

details, in no special way related to the lead- 
ing lines of the garden plan. 

Though the principal borders should usurp 
the best position in the garden, there is no 
reason why the gardener should not make a 
border in the shade, where he may grow such 
plants as thrive best under that condition. 
The foot of a southern boundary fence is well 
suited for a shady border, because it is warm 
as well as shady. Ferns, lily-of-the-valley, 




ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 55 

and Solomon's Seal would thrive in such a 
border, as well as a multitude of other plants. 

When the house does not stand squarely 
within its boundaries, or w^hen the garden 
boundaries are straight but not rectangular, as 
in a plot which tapers in the direction of its 
length, the problem requires some special consid- 
eration; but usually means may be devised to 
bring the garden details into harmony with 
these disconcerting factors, as a perusal of 
some of the plans in Chapter XX will show. 

I have said that the paths exist for utility. 
That is so in a large measure, but they have a 
further value, in linking together the other 
elements of the garden. Moreover, a path is 
an objective invitation to walk through the 
garden and enjoy its beauties. A garden 
without a path would hardly satisfy the eye. 
On the other hand, nothing is so wasteful of 
space, or so irritating to the eye, as a multitude 
of paths cutting up the garden into small 
compartments and destroying the breadth 
of the picture. 

There are two principal points in every path, 
or should be — the beginning and the end. 
Paths which start nowhere and end at a blank 



56 GARDEN PLANNING 

wall suggest purposelessness. It may be taken 
as an axiom that the principal path should 
commence at some point conveniently near, 
and preferably facing, the door by which the 
house inmates enter their garden. Its direction 
should be through the flowers, and it should 
have a natural termination, or final destination. 
The best terminal to a garden path in my 
opinion is the summer house, and when that 
feature is non-existent, an arbour, or some other 
erection, should serve the purpose. Failing 
that, the path might terminate in a square 
expansion, in which a seat, sundial, or other 
appropriate object might be placed. It would 
be better to end it at a tool house or garage, 
or even at a potting-shed, than to allow it 
to stop suddenly nowhere. 

All deviations in the direction of the path 
should be made at right angles. Diagonal 
paths are not permissible. They never look 
well in a small garden. 

The value of a path is mainly in proportion 
to its utility. After rain or heavy dew the 
garden would be uninviting without a path. 
It also preserves the turf from traffic, which 
would soon wear it to bareness. This sums 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 57 

Up the path's usefulness. That it has also a 
certain value in the general picture I have 
already conceded. I have seen it laid down 
in handbooks on gardening that the smaller 
the garden the more the need for the "wind- 
ing path," which, it is claimed, adds to the 
"apparent length of the garden." I cannot 
conceive that any such result could follow in a 
garden the boundaries of which are visible 
on every side. The winding path in a small 
plot serves only to cut up the space into irreg- 
ularly shaped areas, the treatment of which 
will tax the skill of the planner to deal with 
successfully, whilst the additional amount of 
gravel surface is so much deducted from what 
might be made productive flower ground. 

The width of the path must bear some re- 
lation to the scale of the garden. In com- 
paratively small plots, economy of space sug- 
gests that it should be the minimum compatible 
with its purpose. I do not favour a less width 
than three feet for a principal path under 
any circumstances. 

In larger gardens greater width may be 
permitted, as there is a certain distinction and 
dignity in a broad Avalk when all else is in 



GARDEN PLANNING 



proportion. In a half-acre plot a width of five 
feet might be desirable. 

The practical details of path making will 
be treated in a separate chapter, but I may 
here refer to the path material, more particu- 
larly as regards its colour and texture. Red 
gravel, coarse sand, bricks, and tiles are 
warm in tone, contrasting well with the grass 
and harmonizing with the flowers and their 
foliage. Granite chips, cinders, tarred gravel, 
blue stone, and cement are cold and unin- 
viting, and should only be used when other 
materials are unobtainable. 

Red gravel (of the right kind, which binds 
well), bricks, tiles, tarred gravel, and cement 
make paths with a close, hard surface. Sand 
or pebbles, stone chips, cinders, and blue stone 
never bind thoroughly, and therefore make 
paths with a loose surface, which, apart 
from the unpleasant feeUng underfoot, im- 
plies that much loose material will adhere 
to the boots and be carried on to the 
grass, with disastrous results to the knives of 
the mower. 

Though paths, as a rule, should be made of 
equal width throughout, it is sometimes 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 59 

advisable when they are of any great length, 
and particularly if straight, to introduce at 





Fig. 5. — Expansion of path 



6o 



GARDEN PLANNING 



some suitable point an expansion in width to 
break the line. 

This should be done in one of the ways in- 
dicated in the illustration (Fig. 5). These 
expansions may be utilized to accommodate 
garden seats, sundials, vases or tubs, trees 




Fig. 6. — Expansion of path 



or beds, so as not to appear quite purposeless. 

Expansions of the kind indicated are well 
placed at points where a secondary path breaks 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 6l 



off from the principal one; also at the terminal 
of a path, as already mentioned. 

In winding paths they would take a form 
more in harmony with the lines of the path, 
as the examples illustrated in Fig. 6 show. 

Although the rectilinear system, as adapted 
to small gardens, demands that path offshoots 
should be made to leave the path at right 
angles, the same does not apply to curved 
paths, in which all by-paths must leave the 
main path at a more or less acute angle, the 
curves of both being laid down to form a 
pleasing combination of lines, thus: 

Thedictumof 
a distinguished 
landscape gar- 
dener on this 
question may 
be taken as an 

axiom. Rep- Fig. 7.— Path junction 

ton, as quoted 

by Mawson, says: "When two walks diverge 
from each other they should not appear as if 
they were intended to join again, but rather 
as if each led to points far apart." 

The use of curved paths, though inadmissible 




62 



GARDEN PLANNING 



in small plots, is quite legitimate and even 
desirable in plots of larger size, and I may 
therefore offer some guidance for laying 
them out. 

Curves should be set out in good, bold sweeps. 
Grace of line is only to be obtained by a prac- 
tised eye guided by an intuitive sense of what 
is pleasing, so that the best achievements 
in this direction are usually the result of skill, 
knowledge, and artistic instinct. A hint may 
be given as to w^hat should be avoided. 

Thus the curve A in the illustration (Fig. 8) is 
better than B. 



garden walks: ''They should be arranged 
in such a way that the beauties of the place 
may be exhibited, not by a series of wriggles, 
but in a simple straightforward manner." 

As a rule, these curves are best not modelled 
on a geometrical basis, — i. e., one in which parts 
of circles do duty as their components. It is 




Fig. 8. — Curves in paths 



Mr. Mawson 
inhisadmirable 
book, "The Art 
and Craft of 
Garden Mak- 
ing," says of 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 63 

better that they should have that flowing 
character of which we find the counterpart 
in nature in the graceful lines of a bending 
sedge or the curved stem of a flower spike. 
Thus the planner should rely on freehand rather 
than the compasses. 

In laying down such a curved path the novice 
is too apt to overlook the spaces to right and 
left. He should ever bear in mind that his 
walks subdivide the garden space, and on the 
course they take v/ill depend the shape of the 
areas they bound or enclose. Thus in the case 
of a path skirting the garden boundary the 
amount and shape of the space between it and 
the boundary fence must be considered. For 
instance, it would be bad practice to leave a 
strip too wide for a border but too narrow to 
carry a border with grass in front of it. 

I now pass on to the third element in the 
garden plan — the grass.' From the fore- 
going it will be seen how closely correlated it 
is with the other factors. 

In small gardens it is best to confine the 
grass to a single area, though circumstances 
may arise to make it desirable to depart from 
this rule. In such event the second grass 



64 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Space should be subordinate to the principal 
one, and if possible reserved for a separate 
purpose. To bisect the garden into two equal 
areas of grass is at once to introduce symmetry. 
The artist well knows how fatal it is to a good 
pictorial effect to allot equal spaces to sky 
and landscape. The two cases are parallel. 

In gardens of the size I am now considering 
the idea of a " lawn " for games is rarely realiz- 
able for want of space, and the grass plot, 
therefore, should be treated with other pur- 
poses in view. Its functions are more closely 
related to the flowers and general picture. 
It aifords welcome relief to the eye, and by 
contrast enhances the value of the colour effect 
obtainable with the flowers. Moreover, its 
surface presents a cool, soft, and welcome 
tread, and a place to "laze" upon and enjoy 
the garden vistas. 

It is that part of the garden in which we 
may plant a few trees for shade, without fear 
that their shadows and hungry roots will 
work havoc with the flowers. The grass plot 
should never be isolated by surrounding it on 
all sides with gravel, as too often is done in 
the type of garden illustrated in Fig. 3A, the 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 65 

garden with a circuit path so beloved by 
suburban dwellers. Let one or more of the 
sides join a border, where grass and flowers 
would come into juxtaposition. Even let 
the border thrust out an extension into the 
grass in the manner suggested in the early 



part of this chapter. But beware of fretting 
your principal grass plot into a thing of ragged 
outline by overdoing this procedure, and do 
not pierce it with a multitude of little beds. 
Remember also that the simpler in shape your 
grass plot, the less difliculty you will experience 
in mowing it and keeping it trim and neat. 




A 




Fig. 9. — The grouping of beds 



66 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Beds in grass are best grouped at one or two 
points, and the components of the group should 
be shaped so as to produce unity of effect. Com- 
pare the two examples illustrated on page 65 
(A correctly grouped, B incorrectly grouped). 

It is generally better that the outlines of 
the group should preserve a parallelism with 
those of the grass plot, as this ensures a more 
harmonious eifect. 

From what I have written about the im- 
portance of making aspect the guiding factor 
in garden design, it is clear that the gardener 
should contrive, as far as possible, that the 
principal shadows in his garden should fall 
upon the grass, where they will be welcome as 
shade, and will not preclude the growth of good 
turf. Small detached grass spaces, if unavoid- 
able, may be made interesting by planting 
them with bulbs, thereby securing a charming 
feature in spring and early summer. Another 
plan is to utilize the space for a sunken rock 
garden, and yet another is to make a cen- 
tral group of beds upon it, which in the case 
of a square space becomes an attractive 
secondary focus. 

An important point is to give proper access 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 6/ 



to all grass spaces. This implies that the 
borders should not bar the way which appears 
to be the most natural one of reaching the 
grass. Neglect of this consideration may tempt 
those who use the garden to skip over the 
borders, with consequences to the plants which 
I need not particularize. It is well to provide 
means of access to the grass at all points from 
which it is likely to be approached, by bringing 
it up to the path at those points. This is 
done by curtailing the border some three or 
four feet at its end, or by breaking through it 
at some point in its length. Many examples 
illustrating this suggestion will be found in 
the plans. 

.When a grass plot is used solely as a back- 
ground for a group of beds, ample verge should 
be left at the edges, and, whatever the shape 
of the beds, the spaces between bed and bed 
should be of sufficient width to ensure no 
difficulty in mowing. 

In dealing with grass spaces of irregular 
outline, such as would occur where the paths 
are winding, the placing of the beds should take 
into account the outline of the grass space. 
For instance, a square group of beds set in a 



68 



GARDEN PLANNING 



curved promontory would produce a discordant 
note. Better to adapt the shape of the group 
to the space in which it is set. 

The two methods are here illustrated for the 
sake of comparison, and a glance at the figures 




Fig. 10. — Correct form for groups of beds 



will sufficiently convince the reader as to which 
method is most likely to please the eye. 

There is no need to make the grass level if 
the ground has a natural slope, provided. 



ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN PLAN 69 

of course, "King Tennis" does not rule. On 
the contrary, sloping ground greatly assists 
drainage, and ensures that puddles shall not 
lodge on the surface, which, on heavy ground, 
would inevitably occur on a dead-level plot. 



CHAPTER VI 



Making Beds and Borders 

Being intended solely for the purpose of 
accommodating living plants, beds and borders 
should be made so that they will furnish every- 
thing that a plant demands of the soil. This 
implies not only that the soil shall be of such 
a nature as to supply abundant food for the 
roots, but that it shall be of sufficient depth 
and of proper consistency, and that it shall 
contain no undesirable constituents. 

Soils are as we find them, and not always 
as we would have them, so that the gardener 
who, by force of circumstances, has to till an 
intractable soil, must adopt artificial means 
to bring it into a better condition. Reference 
has already been made to the subject in 
Chapter 11. 

Let us assume that the gardener is breaking 
virgin ground, say a piece of old pasture. He 
has staked out the main lines of his garden plan, 

70 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS Jl 

and is about to make his beds and borders. 
The soil consists of a top-spit of brown loam 
overlying a clayey subsoil. If the latter is a 
stiff clay, and insufficient surface soil overlies 
it, the gardener may have to face the necessity 
of importing additional material. But let 
us assume that the consistency of the subsoil 
is not so hopeless as the above assumption 
would imply. Then the proper procedure 
is to bring soil and subsoil into intimate ad- 
mixture, so that one may temper the other, 
and to do so to such a depth as the ordinary 
requirements of horticulture demand. In most 
circumstances this may be taken as two feet 
or thereabout. This is best done by the 
operation known as trenching," now to be 
explained. 

It may be well here to state that trenching 
is a term applied strictly to spade work which 
has for its object deep tillage, as distinguished 
from "digging," by which the surface layer 
of the soil only is turned over. 

Trenching is best done in the late fall months 
when the weather is yet open. It is conducted 
in various ways according to the results re- 
quired and to the previous condition of the 



72 GARDEN PLANNING 

ground. In "full-trenching" the process has 
the effect of reversing the relative positions 
of the upper and lower layers of soil, so that 
that which was situated, say, two feet below 
the surface comes to the top, and the top layer 
goes to the lower level. 

So complete a reversal may be admirable 
treatment for ground which has long been in 
tillage, and therefore already broken up to 
the trenching depth, but it would be inad- 
visable in the case of new ground such as we 
are considering, the subsoil of which had 
not seen the light perhaps for centuries. On 
such ground the subsoil would be compacted 
and wanting entirely in the constituents 
which furnish food for plants. It is clear, 
therefore, that if full-trenching were adopted 
the gardener would have a very poor surface 
layer in which to grow his flowers. 

A better plan would be to "half-trench," 
which consists in removing the surface soil 
in sections, then breaking up the subsoil with 
a fork, and subsequently replacing the surface 
soil. But there is still a better method for 
the garden maker, designed to effect the more 
or less complete mixing of the soil and subsoil 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 73 

to the desired depth. As that is the principal 
object he should have in view, this last method 
is the one for him to adopt. The operation 
is conducted as follows: 

The ground is opened up to the full depth 
by a trench cut across the border, as shown 




Fig. II. — Trenching 



by the full line in the illustration, which 
represents the trench in - cross-section. The 
soil removed may at once be carried to a 
position near the far end of the border. The 
gardener then proceeds to fill up the trench at 
A with soil taken alternately from B and C, 
D and E, and so on till he reaches the end of 
the border, when the space left must be filled 
in with the soil that has been taken there for 
the purpose. 

If the land is old pasture, care should be taken 
to bury the turfs, so they may in due time rot 



74 GARDEN PLANNING 

and thereby contribute their quota to enriching 
the soil. 

Although the primary object of trenching 
is to produce a workable soil of sufficient 
depth, incidentally assisting drainage and 
effecting aeration, it affords a good opportunity 
for enriching the soil by incorporating with it 
a proportion of manure. In the making of 
beds and borders in a new garden this oppor- 
tunity should not be neglected. Therefore 
the gardener should have at hand a heap of 
good manure, and as the work proceeds he 
should add it to the soil at a regular rate, until 
the whole contents of the border has been 
treated. This must be done in a manner 
which ensures that the manure be well dis- 
tributed in depth, not merely added to the 
surface layer, so that when the plants send down 
their roots they will find a reserve of food 
awaiting them. 

Once made in this way, the border will not 
need trenching again for some years. The an- 
nual digging and manuring will serve to keep 
it in efficient condition for a period dependent 
upon the demands made upon it. 

It should be remembered that when we have 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 75 

planted, and the plants have become estab- 
lished in the borders, it is not possible to resort 
to trenching again without removing all the 
plants; hence the necessity for doing the work 
thoroughly in the first instance. 

With beds and groups of beds of compact 
shape, trenching as just described is hardly 
practicable. The better method is first to 
remove the top-spit over the whole surface 
of the bed, heaping it close at hand; then to 
do the same with the lower layer, making a 
separate heap of it; after which the bottom 
should be forked over and the soil thrown back, 
mixing well together that from the two separate 
heaps. A due proportion of manure should 
be added, as in ordinary trenching. 

Thus far these directions apply to soils which 
are naturally well fitted for the gardener. With 
too light or too heavy soils some tempering 
material must be added, and this is best done 
when the beds and borders are being formed. 

On heavy clay soils we may use sand, fine 
gravel, ashes, and vegetable matter. It is 
an excellent plan, not often adopted, I fear, 
to make the lowest layer of brick rubbish, with 
ashes overlying. 



76 



GARDEN PLANNING 



This ensures good drainage. At least two 
feet of soil should be put above the drainage 
layer. The cost and trouble may be more, 
but the results will repay the gardener. 



Borders prepared in this way do not suffer 
from water-logging even during wet winters. 
In hot summer weather they neither bake nor 
become dry for any great distance down. If 
the trenching is done in the autumn, the winter 
frosts will help to break up the clay lumps, 
reducing them to a consistency more nearly 
approaching loam. The important point in 
the treatment of clay land is to secure a suffi- 
cient admixture of loose porous material to 
destroy the tenacity of the clay and to permit 
of moisture freely finding its way down through 
the mass of soil. A certain proportion of 
vegetable matter is a gain, as it has manurial 
value. Hence the gardener may cast into his 




BRICK RUBBISH 



Fig. 12. — Drainage for beds and borders 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 77 

trench turfs, weeds, and garden and house 
refuse, which in due time will rot and supply 
humus. 

On light soils, which usually owe their light- 
ness to an undue amount of sand, or may 
consist almost entirely of sand, we may add 
stiff loam and clay to give it greater body and 
a more retentive character. As such soils 
are usually deficient in humus, vegetable 
matter also may be added with advantage. 

Whether the treatment is designed to render 
a heavy soil lighter or a light one heavier, the 
aim of the garden maker should be to sec re a 
well-drained bed or border, the soil of which, 
to a depth of at least two feet, is of a workable 
consistency and not likely to suffer from ex- 
tremes of weather, either in the direction of 
drought or continued wet. 

Such a soil will admit air as easily as it 
admits moisture, and air performs a very im- 
portant function in "sweetening" and purify- 
ing the soil, by hastening those processes of 
decomposition which are always taking place. 

In soils of the heaviest kind it may be 
necessary to introduce subsoil drainage by 
means of agricultural tile, or rubble drains 



78 GARDEN PLANNING 

laid at regular intervals, but the gardener 
would be wise to avoid land which could be 
rendered workable only by such means. 
Drainage in that case would have to be car- 
ried out over the whole of the ground and not 
merely beneath the borders. 

On stony land the operation of trenching 
affords a good opportunity for removing an 
excess of stones. I do not recommend screen- 
ing, unless a very coarse screen is employed, 
because a certain proportion of stones is an 
advantage to the soil, helping to keep it loose 
and workable. It is therefore generally ad- 
visable to throw out the larger stones only. 

There cannot be two opinions about the 
wisdom of deep working, and it only needs to 
be tried and the results noted to impress the 
most sceptical gardener of its value. 

I now pass on to a consideration of the form 
and disposition of beds as picturesque ele- 
ments in the garden. I need add nothing to 
what I have already said about borders, be- 
cause their position generally determines their 
form, and aspect decides their position. I used 
the term "bed" to distinguish a detached 
compartment for flower growing. Beds are 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 79 



most often formed in turf. Sometimes, how- 
ever, they are given a background of 
gravel, particularly when a formal effect is 
desired. 

Whatever the background, the form of bed, 
as regards its outline, is important, and it 
is essential that we should not outrage good 
taste by indulging in anything of eccentric 
character. I have already pointed out the 
disadvantages from a practical standpoint 
of such shapes as crescents, stars, and other 
figures having acute angles. Did not these 
practical objections count, I should still 
decry these shapes because of their obvious 
artificiality. The outlines by which we bound 
our flower beds should not be of a character 
to fix the eye and divert our attention from 
the flowers. Another objection to these bi- 
zarre shapes is the great aggregate length of 
their boundaries in comparison with the space 
they enclose. This disproportion means that 
the actual length of edging to be kept trimmed 
and cared for is much greater than is necessary, 
and where beds of this kind exist in numbers 
the extra labour is not negligible. 

To take a concrete case, the boundary length 



8o 



GARDEN PLANNING 



of a five-pointed star, as shown in the illus- 
tration, compares with that of a circle of the 
same diameter as five to three. 

A circle, it is well known, encloses the largest 
amount of space in relation to its circumference, 
and is therefore the figure which has the 
smallest length of boundary. The octagon, 
hexagon, and pentagon come next in economy 
of boundary, and the square and rectangle 




Fig. 13. — Shapes of beds 



follow. If the gardener goes beyond these 
simple shapes he will necessarily become 
lavish of edging. I do not mean to say that 
he is on that account to confine himself to 
those shapes alone. We must have variety 
in form and scope for fancy. It is well, how- 
ever, to have our eyes open to the consequences 
of indulging in sprawling and attenuated 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 8 1 



forms, which are prodigal of margin but 
enclose comparatively little flower spaceo 

Of the forms of bed in general use, and 
admissible on practical and artistic grounds, 
I give some examples, omitting the circle, 
square, and rectangle as sufficiently indicated 
by their names. 




Fig. 14 — Shapes of beds 



It is obvious that some of these are suitable 
only as components of a group, by reason of 
their unsymmetrical character. 

Beds are placed either singly or in groups. 
In the former case it is well to select a shape 
which bears some relation to the outlines of 



82 



GARDEN PLANNING 



the grass on which it is placed, if it comes suf- 
ficiently near those outlines for it to matter. 
A square bed set in an oval grass plot would 
not harmonize so well wdth its outline as a 
circular or oval bed, as I haA^e already pointed 
out in connection with groups of beds. So 
in a square or rectangular plot of limited dimen- 
sions a square or rectangular bed would best 
please the eve. 

Tn designing a group of beds it is not sufficient 
to throw together several components bearing 
no relation to each other in shape. On the 
contrary, there should be a rigid harmony 
in shape between the components. This is 
best secured by giving attention to the strips 
of SAvard or grRvel which separate them, and 
a good rule is to make these strips of 
equal width throughout their length, so that 
the sides of adjacent beds are parallel with 
each other. 

This is made clear in the next illustration. 
Practical considerations in connection w^ith 
mowdng make it desirable that this strip of sw^ard 
should not be too narrow^ say not less than 
eighteen inches. In groups of beds in gravel, 
the separating strips become possible paths. 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 83 

and their minimum width may therefore be 
fixed at two feet. 

Examples of groups of flower beds will be 
found in plenty in the garden plans in a 
later chapter. 

As regards the size of a bed, or of the com- 




Fig. 15. — Relation between beds in a group 



ponents of a group, no precise limits can be 
laid down. A bed may consist of a square 
measuring two feet each way, if intended to 
accommodate a pillar rose. On the other hand, 
very large beds are sometimes introduced, when 
they are in scale with their surroundings and 



84 GARDEN PLANNING 

a bold effect is aimed at. In most cases, how- 
ever, nothing is gained by making a bed of 
greater area than is represented by a circle 
of twelve feet diameter. 

In groups of beds it is well to have a central 
component which dominates the group. But 
too great disparity in size between it and those 
about it is not desirable. 

When a series of groups is to be made, as, 
for instance, along the grass bordering a drive, 
the same design should not be repeated in- 
definitely. It is better to repeat it, if at all, at 
considerable intervals, employing other designs 
in between. The same applies to a series of 
single beds, though monotony is not so notice- 
able in that case, particularly if the form 
employed is a simple one. For instance, a 
series of equal and similar rectangular beds 
bordering a long straight stretch of grass may 
be quite inoffensive, but even in that case it 
would be better to break the line at equal dis- 
tances by making a wider interval between 
adjacent beds at every third or fourth bed, 
thus introducing a simple kind of grouping, 
which always looks better than a regular series 
like the cars of a freight train. 



MAKING BEDS AND BORDERS 85 

The gardener has always to consider the 
trouble involved in maintaining the shapes 
of his beds, and this should make him cautious 
about indulging in figures the geometry of 
which is not very obvious. With rectangular 
beds the stretched cord is always a sure guide 
for the turf trimmer, and with circular beds, 
or those bounded by straight lines and parts 
of a circle, the radius cord attached to a stake 
at the centre of curvature is a simple expedient 
for controlling the shape. It is otherwise 
with "fancy" shapes, when the eye alone can 
be called upon to keep things right. 

Opinions differ on the question of camber 
in the surface of the soil, if we may judge by 
examples, some preferring to keep the surface 
flat, and others to heap it up until the bed takes 
on the semblance of a gigantic pincushion. 
Safety lies in the happy medium. Some 
camber is desirable as a means for throwing 
off the water during heavy showers, and it 
improves the appearance of the flowers, 
particularly when they are all of a height, as 
in bedding practice. Excessive camber tends 
to drain off the moisture from the crown 
of the bed. 



86 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Beds in gravel, if edged with box, should be 
kept nearly flat on the surface, otherwise the 
moisture which gravitates to their margins 
would prove uncongenial to the box plants, 
and would also carry soil out upon the gravel 
surface. 



CHAPTER VII 



Construction of Walks and Drives 

The first essential in a garden path is that 
it should present a firm surface, durable under 
the ordinary conditions of the traffic it has to 
bear, which, be it remembered, includes not 
only foot traffic, but the passage of roller, 
mower, and garden barrow. 

It must also be well drained, so that after 
showers its surface does not hold puddles or 
long remain wet. 

There is no detail in the garden which con- 
tributes more materially to its general good 
appearan^ze and to the comfort of its users 
than a well-made and well-kept path. 

Drives designed for carriage traffic may also 
be referred to in this chapter, as practically 
the same principles of construction apply to 
them, though if much used by wheeled vehicles 
and not merely for show, the surface material 
must be such as will not cut up in daily use; 

87 



88 



GARDEN PLANNING 



in fact, their making should involve the ordi- 
nary principles of road construction. 

In laying down the line of a drive, if any 
departure is made from the straight, the curves 
should make wide sweeps. Abrupt turns in 
carriage drives are apt to lead to unlooked-for 
surprises on dark nights. 

The minimum width for a drive may be taken 
as ten feet. 

There are two points in a drive which call 
for special attention on the part of the designer, 
viz., the entrance and the terminal. If the 
drive enters the plot at right angles, it is well 
to set the gates back from the road, so as to 
make space for vehicles to turn, and this is 
especially necessary when the drive leaves a 
narrow thoroughfare. It is usually done by 
making the railings or boundary hedge curve 
inward toward the gates, or curved wing walls 
may be erected enclosing a space approximating 
a semicircle. 

When the drive enters the plot at an angle 
it should break away from the thoroughfare 
by a curve which meets the latter at a tangent, 
or if from a curved thoroughfare, the two curves 
should flow gracefully into each other; in other 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 89 

words, they should have a common tangent 
line. 

It is not unusual to find the course of a drive 
so laid down that its length is unnecessarily 
great, the idea being that it impresses the visi- 
tor. This is a waste of material and of space. 



On level ground a straight drive leading to 
the house by the shortest route is generally 
the best. Curved drives, however, are not 
objectionable provided their lines run in bold- 
sweeps, and they may afford an opportunity 
for screening the house when privacy is 
desirable. 

On sloping ground the course of the drive 



JMAIN ROAD 




Fig. 16, — Entrance to drive 



90 GARDEN PLANNING 

must be determined with a view to ensuring 
an easy gradient, and in such case it may 
be necessary to use curves freely. 




Fig. 17. — The carriage-turn 



Where the drive reaches the house entrance 
an expansion should be made to permit of 
vehicles turning, and it should be wide enough 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 9 1 

to allow them to turn on a sufficiently large 
radius to prevent damage to the road surface. 
The form of the "carriage-turn" is immaterial 
if it is large enough; but if space is restricted 
it is better to adopt the circle, or some figure 
approximating it. 

In the case of a semicircular drive having 
separate entrance and exit gates, the carriage- 
turn is unnecessary, but may be retained in 
some form as a concession to the eye, which 
naturally looks for a free space opposite the 
house door. 

I have said that the actual construction of 
the drive is a question of ordinary road making, 
and it need not therefore be detailed here. 
It is only necessary to warn the road maker 
against the use of improper materials. He 
should excavate to sufficient depth to permit 
of a rubble basis, use the best metalling his 
district affords, and see that it is laid with 
sufficient camber to throw off the rain-water. 
On impervious soils it may be necessary to 
put in rubble or tile drains at the sides. 

I now pass on to paths. 

Gravel Paths — Much depends upon the 
quality of the gravel. There are gravels which 



92 GARDEN PLANNING 

are little better than shingle, being almost or 
entirely devoid of binding material. Gravels 
of this kind will never make a firm path, and 
a path of loose pebbles is objectionable on 
account of the liability of the smaller stones 
to be carried on to the grass. 

The best gravel has a definite proportion 
of a clay-like constituent, probably containing 
iron oxide, which forms a natural cement, 
and ensures that the path becomes duly com- 
pacted under the roller. The presence of this 
constituent is readily detected by the eye and 
finger in handling. jMoreover, it is mainly 
the cause of the red colour, so that the path 
maker should be suspicious of pale-coloured 
gravel. 

Let us now follow the process of making. 
After staking out the course of the path, the 
soil must be excavated to a depth of twelve 
inches, or until a firm bottom is reached, and 
taken bodily away. The gardener will be 
sure to have a use for it. The trench must 
then be filled in with rubble, brick rubbish, 
or other light material, to provide drainage 
and to ensure a firm foundation. 

Over this may be put a layer of shingle or 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 93 

coarse gravel screenings, say three inches thick, 
which should be formed with the rake to a 
curved surface or camber in cross-section. The 
gravel may then be evenly distributed over 
the surface to a depth of from two to three 
inches, care being taken to keep the line of its 




Fig. 18. — Path foundation 



crown straight in the direction of the path's 
length, but preserving the camber of the layer 
beneath. After liberal watering the roller 
should be put to work. The free use of water at 
this stage is important to success, as it ensures 
the subsequent consolidation of the gravel 
and prevents it adhering to the roller. The 
correct amount of water may be determined 
by noting the action of the roller, which should 
carry before it a wave of creamy liquid, a mix- 
ture of water with the binding constituent of 
the gravel. The roller should be a moderately 
heavy one. After the path has been brought 
to a fair surface it should be left unused for 
at least twenty-four hours, and if no rain falls 



94 GARDEN PLANNING 

during that inten-'-al so much the better. The 
whole operation is a simple one, involving no 
pitfalls for the inexperienced if these directions 
be faithfully followed. 

Cinder Paths — These are dismal things in 
the flower garden, though they have a sphere 
of usefulness in the vegetable plot. They 
also may be made as directed for gravel 
paths. 

Tar Paths — When well made these are very 
durable, but their colour is against them, 
and in hot weather they are apt to become soft 
on the surface; the same applies to asphalt. 
I haA'e, however, seen tar paths the stony 
constituent of Avhich was a gray material, 
probably limestone, not altogether unsightly 
after the surface layer of tar had disappeared. 

Tar and other paths made of impervious 
material should not be flanked by impervious 
tiles, or water will collect at their sides. 

Cement Paths — These are unsympathetic 
in colour and liable to crack under the influence 
of frost. To guard against cracking a good 
proportion of sand should be used in mixture, 
and the path should be laid on a concrete basis 
at least six inches thick. Cement may be 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 95 

coloured with iron oxide (red ochre) to give it 
a warmer and more genial hue. 

Brick Paths — Next to gravel the brick path 
holds first place: indeed, in my opinion, it is 
preferable to a gravel path in most circum- 
stances, its only drawback being its want of 
flexibility, which unfits it for use in curved 
lines. Its advantages are the ease with which 
it may be kept free from weeds, its durability, 
good colour, and the opportunity it offers for 
artistic effect. In gardening, the old order of 
things dies hard, and gardeners are shy of adopt- 
ing anything savouring of novelty. Yet thebrick 
path is not altogether a thing of to-day. It 
may be met with in many old gardens, its 
cheery red surface worn into hollows, but ever 
dry owing to the porous nature of its material. 
From this observation we may take a hint, 
and, if we decide upon a brick path, be careful 
to obtain bricks of a kind which are not imper- 
vious to water. They may readily be tested 
by plunging one into a pail of water and noting 
the speed with which the surface water disap> 
pears after it has been lifted out again. In 
point of cost, brick paths do not compare un- 
favourably with gravel, but much depends 



96 GARDEN PLANNING 

Upon the price of each material ruling in the 
district. The average price per thousand of 
bricks suitable for the purpose may be taken 
at ^7.50 delivered on the ground, and a thou- 
sand bricks will cover a surface of about two 
hundred and seventy square feet, sufficient 
for a ninety-foot length of path three feet wide. 
For the purpose of comparison it may be as- 
sumed that a load of gravel costing ^1.75, 
laid three inches thick, will cover one hundred 
and eight square feet of surface, thus bringing 
out the relative cost of material at $7.50 for 
the brick against $4.50 for the gravel. This, 
at first glance, appears to be in favour of 
gravel, but another factor has to be reckoned 
with, viz., edging tiles, w^iich are not required 
for the brick path. These cost about ^3.25 per 
hundred, and they measure about nine inches, 
so that, if our ninety-foot path has to be edged 
on both sides, some two hundred and fifty tiles 
will be required, costing $8.12. The compari- 
son may therefore be stated thus: 

^ 90 feet of brick path . . . ^7.50 

90 feet of gravel path and edging 

tiles 12.62 

This takes no account of labour, and the 

preparatory work and materials for the path 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 97 

foundation. The two latter would be the 
same for brick as for gravel, but the labour 
would be rather more for laying the bricks, 
as compared for putting down and firming the 
gravel, but hardly sufficient to turn the balance 
the other way. I have gone into figures in 
detail, because I find the impression pretty 
general that a brick path must be a costly affair. 
The quality of brick I have found suitable is 
one sold as "seconds wire-cut." Its colour is 
light red, but it darkens when soaked with 
moisture from the soil. 

A rubble foundation is prepared as for a 
gravel path, and dressed over with finer ma- 
terial, over which is put a layer of finely 
screened gravel or builder's sand, which must 
be raked to a level surface. The good appear- 
ance of brick paths would be marred if any 
perceptible camber were given to the surface, 
but on dead-level ground there may be half 
an inch difference of level between the sides 
and centre of a three-foot path. This is quite 
sufficient to throw off the rain. 

The bricks should be laid flat upon the sand 
without mortar or cement, pressed down firmly 
and into close contact, and kept in true line 



9^ GARDEN PLANNING 

by the use of a stretched cord. It is best to 
commence by laying the marginal bricks on 
one side from end to end, and to select the 
side which comes against 
turf, as that helps to keep 
the bricks in place. 

All bricks are more or 
less curved in the burning. 
The concave side is easily 
detected by glancing along 
the edge, and should be 
laid downward, otherwise 
the bricks will acquire a 
tendency to rock and be- 
come loose. 

Having laid the path 
margin on one side, and 
made sure thatitis straight 
and true from end to end, 
the centre may be built up 
to it, but before proceed- 
ing with this some idea 
must be formed of how 
the bricks are to be disposed. They may be 
laid in parallel lines, breaking joints, which is 
the simplest plan, and produces a neat if not 



Fig. 19. — Design tor 
brick path 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 99 

ambitious effect, or a pattern may be worked 
out on some such lines as indicated in the 
illustration. In this it will be seen that whole 
bricks are used throughout. It is not desir- 
able to adopt a pattern which involves 
much cutting of bricks, because of the 
difficulty of making neat joints with the cut 
ends. 

If the centre part is well laid the other 
marginal line of bricks will lie neatly along its 
free side and complete the path. 

In bedding the bricks upon their seating 
the sand may be added to or removed, as oc- 
casion requires, to bring the upper surface of 
the bricks to the general level. The principal 
precaution needed is to bed each brick firmly, 
so that no subsequent subsidence of individual 
bricks can occur. 

If preferred, the marginal bricks may 
be laid on edge, to stand, say, about two 
inches above ' the level of the centre, but 
that practice is not conducive to efficient 
drainage. 

I have pointed out that the brick path can 
dispense with edging tiles, but to make it serve 
the purpose of the tile edging it must be 



100 



GARDEN PLANNING 



brought into proper relation with the ground 
on either side. 

That is best done by adopting the rule of 
making the level of the path at its edges the 
same as that of the turf (when it skirts a grass 
plot), and an inch and a half higher than the 
edge of the border when it comes against the 
soil. This is shown in the sectional illustration. 

The weight of 
the bricks keeps 
them in place, but 

Fig. 20.- Section of brick path well to Com- 

pact the soil of 
the border where it comes against the path by 
ramming, to ensure that the bricks on that side 
do not get out of place. In the case of very 
light soils I have found it desirable to push a 
few^ slates down into the soil at the outer mar- 
gin of the path, burying them as far as the soil 
level. If this is done at every fourth brick, 
and at a joint, the whole is made fairly secure. 
Grouting with cement would perhaps be a safer 
expedient, but I have not found it necessary. 

On sloping ground, where the slope crosses 
the path, the latter may continue the natural 
slope of the ground, and it should be made 




CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES lOI 

quite flat* on the surface, so that water may 
drain off at the lower margin. 

When the bricks have been laid the joints 
may be filled up with loose sand, watered to 
carry it down, and again filled up to a level 
with the surface. 

Whatever ideas the gardener may have about 
pattern-making, he should not allow his fancy 
to run away with him. Over-elaboration of 
pattern in so utilitarian a feature as a garden 
path would be too assertive. The simpler 
the design the better, though undue repetition 
is not desirable. 

Bearing in mind the fact that bricks meas- 
ure four inches in width, it is evident that 
the path width must be a multiple of that 
dimension, a fact to be remembered when the 
width of the path is being settled. 

Composite Paths — In this category I include 

all paths in which bricks or tiles are used in 

combination with concrete, stone mosaics, 

cobble stones, and other like materials. I 

shall first refer to those in which bricks are 

*To avoid misapprehension I may say that I use the 
words "flat" and "level" in their strictly separate 
senses. An inclined path may be flat but is not level. A 
level path is flat of necessity. 



I02 



GARDEN PLANNING 



used for the framework. The preparation 
of the foundation is the same as for an all- 
brick path, except that sand will only be needed 

where the bricks come. 

The general idea of 
a path of this charac- 
ter may be gathered 
from the illustration. 

It will be seen that 
the brickwork forms 
the basis of a pattern, 
which is completed by 
filling the spaces be- 
tween its members 
with another mate- 
rial. I have found 
road macadam an ex- 
cellent one, and I use 
it as follows: having 
made a^ mortar of 
builder's sand and 
Portland cement, half 
and half, I fill in the 
spaces one at a time, 




Fig. 21. — Design for 
composite path 



first with an inch and a half fof fine gravel, 
and then to the path level with mortar 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES IO3 

Whilst the latter is soft I insert the macadam 
cubes, fitting them closely into contact and 
pressing them down, but leaving their upper 
sides slightly higher than the bricks. When 
the space is filled I go over it with a board and 
a mallet, beating down the cubes until they 
are all level with the bricks. The exuding 
mortar is transferred to the next space, and 
that one similarly treated until the whole 
path is finished. After allowing an hour 
for the mortar to partly set, the path surface 
may be washed over with a stiff brush and 
clean water, to remove the mortar which clings 
to the top of the stone cubes. In twelve hours 
the path will be set and as firm as a rock, 
the mortar used for the mosaic work 
taking hold of the bricks and tying the whole 
together. 

A plan less satisfactory on the score of 
appearance is to fill in the spaces with cement 
concrete, finishing with a rendering of cement. 

Cobble stones make an excellent filling, and 
give quite an old-world appearance to a path. 
They should be laid on end in dry sand, levelled 
by the use of the board and mallet, and then 
grouted with liquid cement poured amongst 



GARDEN PLANNING 



them from a pail until it rises above th.^ middle 
of the pebbles. 

Another mode of filling is to use coarse 
rubble blocks, setting them in mortar with the 
aid of a builder's trowel. 

Similar paths may be made by substituting 
tiles for bricks. The expense is greater and 
more skill is required in the setting, which 
must be done on a bed of mortar. I do not 
think that anything is to be said in favour of 
tiles instead of bricks. They are less porous, 
and therefore do not dry so quickly. They 
are also more liable to be dislodged and broken. 

Tile Paths — All-tile paths used to be in favour 
in some suburban fore-courts, and frequently 
offended by reason of the violent contrasts 
in the colour of the tiles. A path of hard red 
tiles in large squares, or of oven tiles, is not 
displeasing, but is not economical where paths 
are long. 

Another disadvantage of the tile path is 
that the edging tile cannot be dispensed with. 

Stone Paths — Flagstones are occasionally 
met with in old gardens. I do not favour 
them for many reasons. One is that one 
cannot help associating them with the flagged 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES IO5 

pavements of town; another that their colour 
is too cold to the critical eye; yet another 
that they wear unequally and soon become 
"dished," giving rise to the inevitable puddle. 

I have seen some good paths made of stone 
waste, and if the gardener has the opportunity 
of obtaining this material cheaply, and it is 
of the right kind — i. e., not too friable — it 
will make an interesting path. 

A good plan is to use it in a patchwork pattern 
of the kind our lady friends call "crazy," for 
which purpose all sharp angles should be 
removed from the pieces. I give an illustra- 
tion that will carry a suggestion for a stone- 
waste path based upon Japanese practice. 
If the separate stones are well bedded, with 
precautions to prevent rocking, no cementing 
medium is needed. In fact, the joints may be 
designedly allowed to gape to permit the grass 
to spring out of them, which will give an uncon- 
ventional but not unpleasing effect to a path 
crossing a lawn. 

Red sandstone is an excellent material, 
and white stone is admissible, as it soon loses 
its glare, and tones down under the influence 
of weather and vegetable growth. 



I06 GARDEN PLANNING 




FiR. 22. — Design for stone path Fig. 23. — Design for stone path 



CONSTRUCTION OF WALKS AND DRIVES 10/ 

The gardener with command of this class 
of material might use it in the form of stepping- 
stones, as the Japanese do, but the effect so 
obtained must not be overdone. Its legitimate 
place is on the grass. 

Note — In the use of a non-binding material 
like blue stone it is well to screen out all 
fine stuff which otherwise would adhere to 
the boots in wet weather and be carried into 
the house. Shells form an almost hopeless 
material for the garden. Their innate friability 
precludes the separation of large from small, 
and renders them the most persistent material 
I know of for finding its way indoors. 



CHAPTER VIII 

Grass as a Foundation 

There is something delightfully soothing 
in a well-kept stretch of verdant turf. It is 
nature's embodiment of the sense of repose, 
the mantle with which she covers the crudities 
of man's handiwork, the best background for 
our flowers, and, in most cases, the criterion 
by which we may judge the capabilities of the 
gardener. If turf we must have, let us have it 
green and fresh and innocent of spot or blem- 
ish. Secondary as it is to the flowers, yet it 
must receive the best attention we can give it. 
The picture loses much of its charm if the frame 
is unworthy of it. 

We may obtain our grass in any of three 
ways: we may import turfs, sow seed, or be 
content with the old pasture grass as we find 
it. Just which we decide upon will be governed 
by circumstances. 

Old pasture is not always a success, particularly 

lo8 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION IO9 

Upon heavy land. It may be growing upon 
too thin a soil, and we should find it water- 
logged in winter and scorched in summer. 
Moreover, it may be full of undesirable weeds, 
and infested with insects ready to migrate to 
our beds and borders. On the other hand, 
we may be lucky in lighting upon some rich 
meadowland in which the conditions are favour- 
able to the growth of good turf, and where 
thistles and other noxious weeds are conspicu- 
ous by their absence. In such case we may 
"leave well alone," and rejoice that we are 
saved the trouble and expense of further opera- 
tions. Should we be driven back upon one 
of the other two expedients, we must make our 
choice according to the local conditions. 
Which is the more economical in cost, turf 
or seed? This problem we may work out for 
ourselves when we know the cost of turf in 
our district. We may be able to get it for the 
labour cost of cutting it, and, if it is near at 
hand, the total cost may be small. But we 
may have to pay for our turfs at current rates, 
usually about twenty or twenty-five cents for 
turfs of three feet by one foot. About thirty- 
six hundred and thirty turfs would be required 



no 



GARDEN PLANNING 



to cover a quarter of an acre, and here we are 
faced with a large outlay for material alone. 

The same piece of ground could be sown with 
one to one and one half bushels of grass seed 
costing about ^5 per bushel, which is very- 
slight outlay for material. Then the labour 
of turf laying would greatly exceed the labour 
of sowing. 

The principal advantage of using turfs is 
that we obtain a close, matured grass surface 
more quickly than we can do by sowing. On 
the other hand, there is always the risk that 
our turf may contain an undue proportion of 
weeds, though on this head a careful examina- 
tion of it in bulk should enable us to form an 
opinion. 

Though the spring is considered the best 
time for turfing, it may be done at any time if 
sufficient and proper precautions are taken. 
Sowing can only be done with the certainty 
of a good result in the spring and autumn. 
This consideration may carry weight with 
gardeners who are anxious to secure an early 
appearance of completeness in a new garden. 

Whether turfing or sowing be practised, 
it is equally necessary to prepare properly the 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION . Ill 



ground. If levelling has to be undertaken in 
the interests of tennis and croquet, that is the 
first operation, and with it should be com- 
bined draining, if the nature of the ground 
demands it. 

In the levelling process the top-spit contain- 
ing the most valuable part of the soil must 
be first laid aside, to be subsequently distrib- 
uted over the levelled surface. This done, 
and the levelling completed, the undisturbed 
subsoil at that part of the ground which has 
been lowered must be forked over to a depth 
of eight inches. The whole surface may then 
be treated with decayed farmyard manure 
well forked in, and the top-spit redistributed 
upon it to form a layer eight inches thick. 

If the original layer of soil is insufficient, 
now is the time to supplement it by an 
additional supply imported from outside, or 
obtained as a by-product from some other 
part of the garden. Planks should be used 
where the barrow is in operation; otherwise 
ruts will be caused that are not easy to 
obliterate. 

Screening may be practised if the surface 
layer is stony. It is essential when sowing 



112 • GARDEN PLANNING 

grass seed, but of less moment where turfs 
are used. 

The operation of laying the turfs is a simple 
one once the ground is brought to a good sur- 
face, but it should not be done immediately 
after the preparation of the ground. Time 
should be allowed for subsidence, particularly 
if any part of the ground has been banked 
up above the natural surface. If rain super- 
venes so much the better, as it will hasten 
the subsidence, disclose inequalities, and ren- 
der the soil in a better condition to weld with 
the new turf. 

The turfs should be laid in close contact 
over the whole surface, gaps at the joints being 
filled up with fine soil as the work proceeds. 
Inequalities in the ground may be made good 
as they come under the workman's observation, 
with the same material. After all is laid, the 
surface must be gone over with the beater, 
and all upstanding places treated with it 
until they accord with the general level. If 
no rain immediately follows, the turfs may be 
submitted to a good watering, after which the 
beater should be used again, and any hollows 
and gaping joints should be filled up with soil. 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II3 

After a day or two's rest, the roller should be 
brought into operation to further compact 
the surface and reduce inequalities. After 
thatj the usual operations of mowing and 
rolling may be performed as occasion calls 
for them. It is well to look for early indications 
of weeds on newly turfed ground, and to 
promptly eradicate all that appear. 

Before sowing is attempted the ground must 
be well compacted by treading or rolling until 
it will no longer take footprints. It should 
be then lightly raked over to provide lodgment 
for the seed. The operation of sowing is best 
conducted on a calm day, and the best time 
of year for the purpose is from the middle of 
March till the end of April. Autumn sowing 
should not be later than the middle of Septem- 
ber. Some authorities are in favour of autumn 
sowing, for the reason that the soil is warm and 
the dews heavy. 

The quantity of seed should not be less than 
one quart of recleaned seed to three hundred 
square feet. It is better to err on the side of 
too much than of too little. A bushel of 
lawn grass seed as usually understood in the 
trade weighs fourteen pounds. Obtain th^ 



114 GARDEN PLANNING 

seed from a reliable firm and follow closely 
their printed instructions. Old seed purchased 
from local sources, even if bearing a well- 
known name, may be disappointing, and grass 
seed sold in bulk at small country stores may 
contain an undesirable percentage of other 
seeds or chaff. 

Sow broadcast, taking care to leave no bare 
places; cover at once with a sprinkling of fine 
dry soil and roll. If the surface soil is damp 
it will pick UD on the roller, and bring the seeds 
with it. 

Birds must be kept away by stretching black 
cotton or garden netting over the ground, or 
by covering it well with pea brush or other 
similar bushy material which may be at hand. 

The grass plants should make their appear- 
ance within twenty-one days. If rain has 
followed the sowing it may be earlier. 

When they have obtained a height of from 
three to three and one half inches the ground 
may be rolled, and the next day the mower 
should be passed over it, taking the precaution 
to set the knife so that it does not cut close to 
the ground. It must be in the best condition 
for cutting, or it will drag up the young grass 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II5 

plants instead of taking off their tops. After 
this, at intervals, the usual routine of rolling 
and mowing may be followed, not omitting 
watering if the weather proves dry. 

Should plantains — the weeds which come 
most often to mock the lawn maker — appear, 
they may be effectually dealt with by placing 
a pinch of dry table salt on the crown of each 
plant. This kills them in a day or two. 

Sown grass is materially assisted if treated 
early with an approved fertilizer, of which the 
seedsman may be trusted to recommend one 
suitable. 

If moss makes its appearance, it implies 
that the soil is out of condition, either owing 
to the need for drainage, or to the absence of 
food for the grass plants. In most cases the 
application of a fertilizer, by stimulating the 
vigour of the grass plants, will cause the moss 
to disappear. Moss in itself is in no sense 
harmful, but is always an indication of a poor 
soil. 

Tennis and Croquet Lawns — These, of course, 
should not only be dead level, but should 
have faultlessly flat surfaces, and I may here 
give a few directions for levelling. 



ii6 



GARDEN PLANNING 



If possible, a position should be selected 
where the ground is naturally approximately 
level. When this is not feasible, it becomes 




Fig. 24. — Level and straight-edge 



necessary to transfer soil from the higher to 
the lower parts of the ground. The operator 
should provide himself with a long straight- 
edge (say, seven feet long) and a spirit-level, 
as well as a supply of stout wooden pegs. 
He must first get the foundation approximately 
level, using the straight-edge on the surface, 
or sighting from tall pegs driven into the ground 
carrying cross-pieces fixed horizontally by 
means of the level. He should then drive in 
pegs over the whole surface six feet apart, 
and standing so much above the foundation 
as will allow for the amount of surface soil to 
be subsequently distributed over it. Taking 
a central peg as a datum, he should work out- 
ward, adjusting each peg in turn by means 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION IIJ 



\ 

27ft. i4U 



NET 



of the straight-edge and level until the tops 
of all are at the same level. It only then re- 
mains to fill in the soil to the tops of the pegs, 
or slightly over, to 
allow for subsidence 
and compacting by 
rolling. The pegs 
may be removed at 
any time afterward. 
The tennis court 
has a net size of 
seventy - eight feet — 
by thirty-six feet, 
or nine feet less in 
width for the single 
game. 

Additional width 
must be allowed for 
the poles and for 
the players, there- 
fore a total clear Fig. 25.— Tennis court 

space of one hundred feet by fifty feet is 
not too great an allowance, and may be taken 
as the minimum compatible with the comfort 
and convenience of the players. 

The full-sized croquet ground, according 



36ft. 



ii8 



GARDEN PLANNING 



to the revised rules of the Croquet Association, 
should measure thirty-five yards by twenty- 
eight yards, or in feet one hundred and five 




Fig. 26. — Croquet court 

by eighty-four, which space must be all clear 
turf. 

In considering the position of a tennis or 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION II9 

croquet lawn the designer has the choice of 
two courses. He may allot it a space to 
itself, enclosing it by a hedge or screen of trees 
or shrubs, and thus put it out of sight as some- 
thing not altogether in harmony with the 
decorative scheme of the garden, or he may 
let it frankly proclaim itself as an obvious 
feature and component part of the garden 
design. There is something to be said for 
both plans. In a garden of straight lines the 
rectangle of turf set aside for tennis or croquet 
would not be so conspicuous a feature as in a 
type of garden in which a naturalesque effect 
was aimed at, and winding walks were ele- 
ments in the design. 

There is no need to make hard and fast 
boundaries to the tennis or croquet lawn. It 
may be constituted upon any convenient and 
sufficiently roomy stretch of level turf where 
the game and horticulture are not likely to 
come into conflict. 

Tennis lawns made upon ground which 
carries a marked slope are not always sightly 
features, reminding one of the idea one forms 
of the "hanging gardens" of Babylon. Such 
lawns may be considered indispensable, and 



120 



GARDEN PLANNING 



if they have to be made at the expense of 
much excavating and banking up, means should 
be found to conceal their artificial outlines 
by means of shrubs, trees, or other suitable 
screening. 

The Bowling Green — Revived interest in 
bowls has induced some owners to install a 
private bowling green on their ground. The 
regulation size is forty yards square, but less 
width is admissible if space is restricted. It 
is usual to sink the green below the general 
surface, and it must be truly level. The 
sloping banks and the space adjacent to them 
should be turfed, the former as a check to the 
bowls, and the latter to provide a vantage 
ground for spectators. 

The Grass Plot — I have already intimated 
the importance of studying breadth of effect 
in the garden. Nothing tends to destroy 
this character so much as the injudicious 
chopping up of the grass space. 

The shape of the grass plot is determined 
in a large measure by the other elements of 
the plan. Yet there are opportunities for the 
gardener to go astray if he does not realize the 
principle for which I am contending. Take, 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION 



121 



for instance, a garden the boundaries of which 
converge. The planner may find, when he 
has taken sufficient space for his borders and 
paths, that his grass runs out to a mere wedge. 
In such event he would do well to take off the 
acute angle by adding the space either to 
border or path. Again, in the making of 
borders and beds it is surprisingly eas)^ to 
produce awkward shapes in the grass details, 
particularly when working with curved lines. 
A good rule, therefore, is to permit no acute 
angles, narrow isth- 
muses, tapering verges, 
or crescent horns in 
grass. (See Fig. 27.) 

In the rectilinear 
treatment of small 
gardens these difficul- 
ties will hardly arise, 
but they may do so in 
cases where the garden 
plot is a converging 

one. When the garden ^iS- 27 — Acute angles in grass 

is of sufficient size to call for treatment in 
curves, the shaping of the grass demands 
more careful consideration, the main object 




122 



GARDEN PLANNING 



being to avoid anything that will detract 
from the breadth of effect, of which the 
items just enumerated are those most likely to 
beset the inexperienced designer. 

The practice of loading the grass with an 
archipelago of small beds, cutting it up into a 
fretwork design, is to be condemned for the 
s»ame reason. 

The placing of beds on grass calls for restraint 
and discretion on the part of the gardener. 
The artist "feels" where a bed or group of 
beds could be placed with advantage to the 
garden picture, because he has an eye trained 
to proportion. Those who lack such training 
must first realize their deficiency, and then 
seek for guidance by studying elementary 
principles, of which that applying to breadth 
of effect, already sufficiently explained in these 
pages, is one of the most important. 

The accompanying illustration (Fig. 28) 
shows the correct way to correlate the bed 
with the grass when the former has to fill a 
projecting space. 

It is certainly better to err on the side of 
having too few than too many detached beds. 

It will be useful here to accept my injunction 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION 



123 



about the grass verge, under which term 
may be included the strips which separate bed 
from bed in a group. These should always have 
parallel sides and 
a minimum width 
of eighteen inches. 
Two feet is better 
if space permits. 

When a garden 
plot is situated 
onsloping ground, 
if the slope is 
slight only, it is 
better to let the 

garden follow it ^.^^ ^g.-Beds in relation to grass 

than to attempt ^^^p^^ 

levelling, provided that no considerable space 

is to be reserved for tennis or croquet. 

On ground of irregular contours the irregu- 
larities may call for modification, or they 
may be entirely desirable as affording oppor- 
tunity for variety in the general treatment of 
the garden, according to the particular views 
of the garden ov/ner. Whenever the character 
of the ground is such as to leave certain spaces 
in the form of hollows, these hollows should 





124 GARDEN PLANNING 

be filled in or drained; otherwise they will 
become pools in wet weather. As with lines, 
so with surfaces : the curves should flow without 
break, so that we cannot detect where one 
runs into the other. 

Grass slopes should be used sparingly, be- 
cause they involve extra labour in the mowing 
and are apt to suffer in time of drought. When 
necessitated by the nature of the ground, as 
in a hillside garden, they should not be steeper 
than one in two, or both these disadvantages 
will be intensified. 

Another point to be considered in the making 
of a grass plot is its level relative to the adja- 
cent paths. It is not unusual to find paths 
sunk so much below the grass level that the 
soil is exposed beneath the turf. This allows 
soil to break away, or be washed out by the 
rain, to the detriment of the path. It also 
involves additional labour in trimming the 
grass edges. There is no need to allow more 
elevation to the turf than is sufficient to ensure 
the mower clearing the gravel when used on 
the edge of the grass, and if this rule is followed 
there is no danger of gravel straying on to the 
grass. From two to three inches is quite 



GRASS AS A FOUNDATION 1 25 

enough. In practice, the question is most 
likely to present itself in connection with path 
making, when the gravel surface would have 
to be regulated to ensure the above result. 

When it is a case of grass in juxtaposition 
to soil, as in the making of beds, the rule does 
not call for such stringent observation, but to 
satisfy the eye the grass edge should not stand 
higher than three inches above the soil. If 
much less there is the danger of soil and stones 
working on to the grass. 

Grass Paths and Edgings — Though grass 
is unsuited for paths, there are cases in which 
it may be used, as, for instance, when an 
alternative path of gravel exists. I have 
seen the grass path installed with excellent effect 
in the kitchen garden, where it gives quite a 
distinctive and finished appearance to that 
department. In the case to which I allude 
the ground had quite recently been meadow- 
land, and the vegetable beds had just been 
cut in the turf, allowing main paths five feet 
wide, with narrower connecting paths of half 
that width. I cannot commend it as econom- 
ical of space, but where there is ample 
room this use of grass has its advantages on 



126 ^ GARDEN PLANNING 

the score of appearance, and is highly preferable 
to the usual cinder path, which requires that 
an edging be provided. 

The grass path also may have its utility in 
the flower garden, though it usually comes into 
existence by some adventitious circumstance 
rather than by design. A border skirting grass 
may have opposed to it a long bed, and the 
gardener may decide to connect the two by a 
pergola. This at once turns the intervening 
grass strip into a path, and a very charming 
one, where the walker may find a tunnel of 
greenery, his feet on verdant turf, a canopy 
of blossom overhead. Grass edgings are used 
in both flower and kitchen gardens, and I 
have already referred to them by the term 
''verge." Each gardener will decide for him- 
self whether the space at his disposal admits 
of such a feature, and whether the effect to be 
obtained from it is commensurate with the 
labour involved in keeping it trimmed. If 
he has any doubts in the matter he should 
forego the verge, because, uncared for, it is 
an unsightly and wasteful feature. 



CHAPTER IX 



How TO Plan a Garden 

It is well for the gardener to start with an 
open mind. He should look for suggestions 
from the site, not omitting to take into account 
its immediate environment. The best gar- 
dens are personal: they take their character 
from their makers. 

I am sometimes asked "What style of 
garden would you suggest for my plot?" 
and I am tempted to reply, "The common- 
sense style." The exact treatment for a 
given plot is not to be laid down by rule. The 
gardener may not recognize the possibilities 
of the site at first glance, but he will do so 
when he has carefully studied it. In Chapter 
IV I showed the utility of straight lines in 
an oblong plot of limited size. I do not wish 
to magnify the difficulties of planning, and I 
may say at the outset that the more knotty 
problems arise most often in connection with 
127 



128 



GARDEN PLANNING 



plots of irregular shapes or contours, or 
plots unfavourably conditioned as regards 
aspect and surroundings. The treatment of 
a small rectangular garden plot may be a very 
simple matter, provided due weight is given 
to aspect. Yet even the smallest plot involves 
alternative modes of planning, and then the 
gardener must give his casting vote for that 
one which, after satisfying the requirements 
of horticulture and the conditions which make 
for artistic quality, best accords with his 
personal views. 

The first point to consider is the appor- 
tionment of the various sections of the garden: 

How much space do I require for vege- 
table ground? 

Do I want a tennis or croquet lawn? 

Have I to provide a playground for 
children? 

Must I limit my flower space to what I 
can properly manage in my spare time? 

These — and possibly other — questions 
will occur to the planner, and he should answer 
them definitely before he starts to plan. In 
doing so he will naturally commence to evolve 



HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 29 

some kind of skeleton idea of what he would 
like his garden to be. His next step should 
be to lay down on paper a plan of his garden 
site to scale, say one eighth of an inch to a 
foot, and mark on it the house, indicating 
the position of the doors back and front, or 
at the sides, as the case may be. He should 
then add an arrow to show the north point, 
to remind him, in the course of his work, of the 
direction in Vv^hich the maximum amount of 
sunlight will fall. The gate by which the 
premises are entered from the roadway must 
be marked in its proper position. This much 
accomplished, the gardener will have before 
him in bird's-eye view the main factors that 
should control his planning. 

If he has decided to grow vegetables, he 
may at once rule off on the paper as much 
space as he wishes to devote to that purpose. 
Usually this will be situated at that part of 
the garden remote from the house, and there 
are excellent practical reasons for it occupying 
that position. The division should be at 
right angles to the garden's length in a garden 
with parallel sides, even though the end fence 
or wall is oblique. Irregularity in the shape 



130 GARDEN PLANNING 

of the vegetable plot is immaterial, and the 
right-angled division squares things for the 
flower garden. 

Leaving the vegetable ground for the present, 
the next thing is to locate the principal border, 
and if the aspect is east or west, there should 
be no hesitation in giving it a place against 
the north fence, where it will receive full sun. 
The planner may therefore rule a line parallel 
with this fence six feet distant from it, 
adding a second parallel line at, say, three 
feet beyond to define the principal path. Jf 
space permits, a third line may be added, at 
four feet beyond the second, to mark off a 
second border, the near side of which will be 
the grass. Reference to the illustration (Fig. 
29) will make these operations clear. The 
path is now represented by a narrow ribbon 
with no terminal at either end. We may now 
consider the approach to and destination of 
the path. The near end must be coordinated 
with the house door, as explained in an earlier 
chapter, and this could be done by marking 
off a stretch of gravel immediately behind the 
house, from which the path may start its 
journey. Such a device is convenient when the 




Fig. 29. — Typical garden plan Fig. 30. — The method of offsets 



132 



GARDEN PLANNING 



aspect is that assumed in the example, but 
with a north aspect the space about the rear 
of the house would be too valuable to waste as 
gravel, and another device would have to be 
employed. I need not describe every possible 
mode of doing this, as many examples will 
be illustrated in the plans which follow. As 
for the path's objective, I have already offered 
suggestions in an earlier chapter. 

Though it is a good rule to make paths go 
direct to their destinations, an exception is 
permissible and even desirable in a long gar- 
den, where a single straight path would prove 
a monotonous feature. I therefore favour 
some device which breaks the line, such as 
may be contrived by cranking the path or 
by introducing an expansion into its length. 

The cranked path gives opportunity for 
allowing the principal border to terminate 
in a transverse extension, by which the vista 
is improved, and a screening effect obtained. 

We will assume that our path sets out from 
the gravel space immediately behind the house, 
threads through our borders, and terminates 
in, say, a summer house. The treatment 
of the space to the south of it may now be 



HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 33 

taken in hand, and in deciding how much to 
allot to the border we must be guided by our 
sense of proportion and by the value we set 
upon our grass plot. If space permits we 
may add a narrow border along the southern 
fence line. 

I have now traced what I may call the 
evolution of a small rectangular garden. The 
treatment has been simple, as the case de- 
manded. As a plan, the design ensures a proper 
coordination of the garden with aspect, and 
so much variety as may be obtained within 
so limited a space without over-elaboration. 
It need hardly be mentioned that this par- 
ticular treatment would not hold good for a 
plot with a different aspect, and for that 
reason it should not be copied unless the 
aspect is approximately the same as indicated 
in this example. 

The gardener has now to build up his picture 
skyward. This involves the use of such 
natural objects as trees, shrubs, and flowers, 
and of such artificial adjuncts as arches, per- 
golas, summer houses, arbours, and the like. 
Before he decides upon the placing of these 
things he should sally forth to the site, plan 



134 GARDEN PLANNING 

in hand, and take his stand, say, near the house 
door, or in some central position from which 
he may hope in time to obtain a general view 
of his garden picture. There he may exercise 
his mind by building in imagination upon his 
ground plan, seeking to place such features 
as he may decide to introduce into the garden. 
He will obtain suggestions from already exist- 
ing objects. For instance, the presence of a 
well-grown tree on neighbouring premises may 
help the picture, enabling him to dispense 
with the planting of trees on his own. On 
the other hand, he may observe some un- 
sightly object which it will be necessary to 
endeavour to screen from view. 

Bearing in mind what I have already written 
about composition" in the artist's sense of 
the term, he must avoid symmetry in masses, 
and seek for balance of effect by other means. 
If he has decided upon a summer house, let 
him have it built with a simple, pointed roof, 
and restrain his impulses in the direction of 
destroying its outlines with a maze of rustic 
work. Its pyramid form is useful in giving 
a certain punctuation to the skyline. He 
may even decorate it with a weather-cock, 



HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN I35 

which would be quite appropriate and useful 
in the picture. I do not demand that the 
summer house shall stand out naked amidst 
its surroundings; it will be better associated 
with trees and shrubs. It is not desirable to 
have a uniformity in height in these artificial 
structures. If arches or a pergola are intro- 
duced into the scheme, do not let them soar 
up to the level of the weather-cock on your 
summer house. 

Trees are always useful in attaining that 
necessary height in the garden picture for 
which the designer must work. They must 
be placed so that their shadows do not intrude 
upon the flower borders, and, as I have already 
stated, their arrangement must be innocent 
of symmetry. 

Let no two be at the same distance from 
your standpoint, and select them of different 
kinds and sizes. Grouping is preferable to 
scattering, or placing the trees in "serried 
rows." 

By carefully weighing these various points, 
with the plan before you, it will not be difficult 
to arrive at a provisional arrangement of the 
accessories we have been discussing. You 



136 GARDEN PLANNING 

may next jot down on the plan where you 
think an arch, tree, or pergola will be of value, 
and you will then have all but completed your 
labour — on paper. 

Lastly, such smaller accessories as sundials, 




Fig. 31. — Arrangement of trees 



vases, and rockwork can be located, and in- 
dicated to scale on the drawing. 

All this time we have left the vegetable 
plot alone, after cutting it off from the flower 
territory, and we must now revert to it. Some 
gardeners may prefer to treat it as a thing 



HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 37 

apart, to be concealed at all costs. Gardens, 
however, are so small in these days of dear 
land that we cannot afford to neglect the 
possibilities of the vegetable plot in the general 
garden effect. Therefore we should see how far 
we can use it to increase the apparent space 
at our disposal. A good way of effecting this 
result is to contrive that a flower border, or 
borders, continue from the flower garden 
into and through the vegetable plot, thereby 
extending the garden vista to the extreme limit 
of the ground. 

In certain circumstances it may be advisable, 
for the sake of obtaining a particular effect, 
to adopt a division between the kitchen and 
flower garden which is not a straight line. 
It may be a bold curve or a cranked line. 

The division may be definitely marked by a 
fence or hedge, or less conspicuously indicated 
by an informal line of shrubs. Much depends 
upon the disposition of the other factors and 
the gardener's views as to the desirability or 
not of allowing his vegetable productions to 
claim attention. I would not for a moment 
contend that the kitchen garden is unsightly. 
On the contrary, its bold masses of green may 



138 



GARDEN PLANNING 



be valuable as background, and by no means 
unbeautiful in themselves. Still there are 
times when the tenants of the vegetable plot 
do not look their best — as, for instance, when 
Brussels sprouts tower lankily skyward, and 
peas are yellowing and sinking into disorder. 

The planning of gardens of larger size than 
the typical example just treated involves the 
same general principles, though the details and 
style of treatment may be different. It is 
mainly a question of scale, though the inclusion 
of additional features facilitated by the larger 
area of ground available may tend to complicate 
the problem. Still the mode of procedure 
should be along lines similar to those already 
described, and the planner must ever be alive 
to the importance of studying aspect and of 
building up a picture in three dimensions. 

Gardens of irregular outline may in- 
volve some early difficulties in planning, 
but they are generally amenable to treat- 
ment on common-sense principles, and not 
infrequently such gardens are, by their unusual 
shape, eminently adapted for obtaining pic- 
turesque effects. Examples of such gardens 
will be found in a later chapter, reference to 



HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN 1 39 

which will afford the reader more guidance 
than further written description. 

When, by reason of the nature of the ground, 
its extent, or the special predilections of the 
gardener, the main lines of the garden are to 
be treated in curves, the key to the best result 
is not always so easy to find. To those who 
may have difficulty in thinking in curves, I 
may suggest that they first lay down the 
main lines of the plan in straight lines, after- 
ward translating them into sinuous ones. This 
may be of some help, but it will not remove 
all the difficulties, and it is not easy to give 
rules to cover the whole ground. 

It may be taken as bad practice, however, 
to associate curves with straight lines, as, for 
example, to oppose a straight grass edge to a 
curved border, leaving a path of varying width 
between. I am not sure that the practice of 
running a border, whose near line is a series 
of curves, along a straight fence is to be com- 
mended, though it is often done. Its best 
excuse is that the shrubs and taller plants 
in part conceal the foot of the fence and render 
its straightness less conspicuous. 

In the laying down of curves geometry helps 



140 GARDEN PLANNING 

US but little. The eye is the better guide, 
and a length of rope an excellent help when 
marking out the ground. The rope may be 
laid along the proposed route of a curved path, 
and its perspective appearance noted. If the 
curve fails to satisfy the eye the rope can 
be moved and rearranged until a good result 
is obtained. 

All curves which are parts of circles are 
easily described with the help of a cord and 
centre peg. 

When setting out curves the course of which 
has first been laid down on the plan the method 
of offsets is the easiest. (See Fig. 30.) 

This is sufficiently explained in the illus- 
tration, where a boundary fence is the datum 
line. When the curve passes over an open 
space a special datum line must be laid down, 
either by the use of a stretched cord or a row 
of pegs sighted into line. 



CHAPTER X 



Sloping Gardens 

Gardens upon sloping ground, if the slope 
is considerable, demand special treatment, 
which will vary according to circum.stances. 
Such gardens may be made picturesque and 
interesting, but are hardly desirable acquisi- 
tions to the horticultural enthusiast. This is 
particularly the case if the aspect is other 
than southern. 

In a steeply sloping garden the aim should 
be a quite informal or naturalesque treatment. 
Winding walks may be carried across the slope, 
turning upon themselves in an irregular 
zigzag. Here and there pockets may be 
carved out of the hillside to make level 
space for flower growing. 

Terracing, the only effective way of securing 
sufficient level space, is always a costly matter, 
and when the slope is considerable it would 
result in a heavy, artificial effect as seen from 
141 



142 



GARDEN PLANNING 



the lower levels. On the whole it is better 
not to attempt too much on a steep hillside. 

The first illustration indicates in sectional view 
the treatment I should adopt. Trees and shrubs 
may be used with good 



^^^^ should be carried in a direction across 
the slope as far as possible, and if excavation 
and banking have to be done, it may run suf- 
ficiently far back on either side to provide 
space for flower ground. 



In the case of small gardens, some 
simple system of terracing like that indicated 





Fig- 33- — Terracing — sectional view 



SLOPING GARDENS 



in the second sectional view is the best 
treatment. 

The natural slope is shown by a dotted line 
and it is evident just how much excavation 
and banking is necessary. By a little care in 
fixing the levels it may be contrived that the 
excavated soil is just sufficient for making 
the banks. This is an example of a slope 
away from the house. When the garden slopes 
toward the house a different method should be 
followed, because the effect of looking from a 
low level up a slope is that little or nothing 
on the level is seen. 



Thus, if terracing is done with a view to 
obtaining level stretches, the beds and borders 
will be hidden from sight until the observer 
ascends to their level. It is better, therefore, 
that the terraced part should be given a slight 
slope toward the house, as Fig. 34 shows. 
Gardens falling away from the house are 
liable to be very dry at the highest point. 




144 GARDEN PLANNING 

On the other hand, gardens which slope to-, 
ward the house throw the rain-water to the 
lower level, necessitating some system of 
drainage for carrying it away. 

In treating of terracing in small gardens I 
do not use the term in the sense of walled 
terraces. Walls are costly and not always 
sightly adjuncts, especially in a small garden. 
The drop from one level to the next may be 
made by means of a grassed bank, a retaining 
board, or a rock-faced slope, according to 
circumstances. When the slope is to the 
south, the face of the bank is well placed for 
treatment as an alpine garden, and I know 
of no better way of dealing with it. On grassed 




slopes shrubs may be used to conceal the 
horizontal margin of the slope. 

Paths which pass from one level to another 



SLOPING GARDENS I45 

require to be stepped, and this may be done in 
many ways. Possibly the most economical 
method is to fix wooden risers by nailing them 
to stout pegs well driven into the soil at each 
end, and to fill in the treads with gravel beaten 
down and brought to a fair surface. Re- 
taining boards should be fixed at the sides, 
as shown in the illustration. 

Gardens in which the natural slope is trans- 
verse to their length do not involve the same 
difficulties, and they are not usually found of 
such steep gradients, or, if they are, their small 
width, compared with their length, makes the 
problem of planning a simpler one. It often 
becomes feasible to effect a change of levels 
at the path line in some such way as appears 
in this sectional view. 




Fig. 36. — Dealing with a transverse slope 



In this illustration it will be seen that a 
raised border is made on the higher side of 



146 



GARDEN PLANNING 



the path, supported by a retaining board, 
rubble wall, or by rockwork. If the lower 
boundary is a fence, the water which drains 
to that level will tend to rot it. It is good 
practice, therefore, to make the fence open 
for two or three inches above the ground sur- 
face. If the boundary is a wall it may be 
necessary to introduce a rubble drain along 
its foot. In neither case, however, would such 
an expedient be necessary unless the soil was a 
heavy and impervious one. A narrow border 
along the lower boundary will usu- 
ally serve as sufficient drainage. (^^^ 



transverse direction it may be necessary to re- 
make the ground by raising the lower side with 
soil taken from the higher, and if the lower 
boundary is a fence this would necessitate a 
bank, as it would not be feasible to allow any 
depth of soil to lie in contact with the fence. 




When the slope is steep in a 



SLOPING GARDENS I47 

The existence of such a bank as seen in the illus- 
tration (Fig. 37) is not a very sightly feature 
in any garden, and should only be adopted 
when the circumstances preclude any other 
arrangement, and in that event the best plan 
is to plant the head of the bank with shrubs 
or with a hedge. 

The only other case to be mentioned is that 
in which the slope is diagonal, and for that 
no special guidance can be offered, because 
so much will depend upon the amount of slope 
and its direction considered with reference to 
aspect. The aim should be to model the 
surface in such a way as to secure the proper 
conditions for horticulture and the convenience 
of the garden user, without attempting too 
much work of an artificial character. It 
should always be remembered that dead-level 
plateaus on a considerable slope proclaim 
themselves as man's handiwork, wherefore 
it is well to conceal as much of this work as 
possible. 

In some cases it may be desirable to effect 
a compromise by not setting out to bring the 
ground to a series of levels, but by merely 
modifying the original slope to a series of slopes 



148 GARDEN PLANNING 

of less gradient. In all such problems the main 
point is not to outrage Nature, but rather to 
coax her in the direction in which we wish 
her to go, covering up our footsteps as we 
proceed in the work, so that the final result 
shall not disclose too obviously what it owes 
to spade work. 

As steps are necessary adjuncts in sloping 
gardens, I may give some further suggestions 
for making them. 

An alternative plan to the one already de- 
scribed is that shown in the third figure in the 
illustration (Fig. 38), in w^hich the treads are 
made of stout boards supported on pegs driven 
into the ground. Yet another plan is to attach 
the treads to cheeks of wood, making a single 
complete structure, as in the fourth figure. 

When the path passes through rockwork 
I always build the steps of rock pieces. 

Bricks may be employed for steps, either 
set in mortar or laid loose, as in the first figure. 
They are better laid on edge, and it is well 
to chip off the angle where the tread and riser 
meet, or to use bull-nosed bricks. 

Slabs of stone make good steps, and by their 
weight keep in place if well bedded, without 



SLOPING GARDENS 



149 




Fig. 38. — Steps 



ISO 



GARDEN PLANNING 



the need for cheeks, though it is best to make 
the risers of brick to prevent soil from working 
out from beneath the tread. On moderate 
slopes the riser may be of soil left at an angle 
and turfed. There is something quite un- 




Fig. 39. — Spreading steps 

conventional in such steps as illustrated in the 
second figure. 

When the slope is moderate, but long, it is 
well to break the line of steps into two or more 
flights, as a concession to appearances. 

When the difference of level is small, a good 
effect will result from spreading the steps 
in one of the ways shown in Fig. 39. 

I have avoided reference to architectural 
features associated with steps, as, for instance, 
side and wing walls, pillars, and caps, These^ 



SLOPING GARDENS I5I 

if introduced into a small garden, should be 
unpretentious, and as far as possible designed 
to accord with the architecture of the house. 
If capped with flat stones the pillars may carry 
vases with good effect, always provided the 
latter are chosen with taste and a sense of 
proportion and fitness for their surroundings. 



CHAPTER XI 

The Rock Garden 

There is no feature in the modern small 
garden so badly contrived as the rock garden, 
or "rockery," as it has come to be called. It 
is too often but a formless heap of stone rubbish 
or clinkers in which a few sickly ferns struggle 
for existence. A rock garden need not be large 
to be interesting, but it must be properly con- 
structed and placed where the sun can reach 
it. To the real flower-lover the rock garden 
is a delight. There is no corner of his domain 
which yields more interest. It is a garden with- 
in a garden, a place where nature has all her 
own way, rewarding him with quaint and beau- 
tiful flowers and varied foliage from early 
spring to winter frosts. It is well to under- 
stand the scope and purpose of the rock gar- 
den, a thing all too often overlooked. The 
common plan of heaping together a mass of 
stone and mineral curiosities into a grotto- 
152 



THE ROCK GARDEN I 53 

like structure, and sprinkling the whole with 
soil, is the outcome of a misunderstanding of 
first principles. Let us look into the matter 
closely, and see just why our alpine plants 
should be associated with such apparently un- 
congenial material as stone masses. The 
answer is clear, if we inquire as to the character 
of their native habitat. The casual observer 
who has wandered through the Swiss uplands 
will have seen a wealth of plant life, jewelled 
with gorgeous blossom, clinging apparently to 
the bare surface of a rock, and he will have won- 
dered how the solid stone could furnish food for 
so luxuriant a display. Yet if he had pushed 
his investigation carefully on the spot he would 
have found that every plant was rooted deeply 
in some crevice filled with soil. Here, then, 
is the explanation. The rock is but the flower 
pot. But it serves a very important purpose 
as such, holding a reserve of moisture gathered 
from the sky, and yearly collecting an ad- 
ditional store of soil, the fine debris of the moun- 
tain-side. Thus the plant has availed itself of 
natural conditions eminently adapted for its 
welfare, and therefore it flourishes. 

The rock garden is man's attempt to imitate 



154 GARDEN PLANNING 

these natural conditions, and if it fails in this, 
its principal function, how can it serve its pur- 
pose as a home for the plant? 

The idea, not by any means uncommon with 
those who have not looked closely into the 
question, that there is some magic virtue in 
the rock itself by which these plants obtain 
food suitable for their needs, must be aban- 
doned. The function of the rock pieces in 
our alpine garden is twofold. They serve to 
give us a suggestion of the natural environment 
of the plants we wish to grow, which is good; 
but, better still, they conserve the moisture in 
the soil, and thus ensure that the plants have 
a constant supply of it in all weathers. 

This being so, it is well to select our rocks 
from material which is porous, and therefore 
capable of holding in its substance a certain 
reserve of moisture. Yet an impervious stone 
is better than none, as it reduces the area of 
soil subject to evaporation. 

The next point to understand is that the soil 
in our rock garden must be well drained. This 
may be attained by ensuring that it is of a 
porous character and of sufficient depth. Drain- 
age is assisted by elevating the rock garden, 



THE ROCK GARDEN 



or, what comes to the same thing, by sinking 
its floor below the general level. 

It is not necessary to be lavish of rocks. In 
a well-designed rock garden the soil should 
bulk at least as largely as the rocks. 

Position — The rock garden should be as 
far removed from a formal environment as 
possible. It is, or should be, our best attempt 
to imitate a piece of nature. If it is associated 
with walls, greenhouses, or other artificial 
surroundings the illusion falls to pieces. It is 
better also to keep it away from the neigh- 
bourhood of trees, whose roots would find their 
way into the soil and exhaust it, and whose 
leaves in autumn would sadly litter its surface. 
Moreover, it is well to be consistent in our 
mimicry, and to remember that the landscape 
is innocent of trees at the altitude where alpine 
flowers thrive best. 

Aspect — The above conditions being satis- 
fied, the only other one of importance is that 
the alpine garden should have a sunny aspect, 
though this does not imply that every part 
must enjoy full sun; nor would that be desirable, 
since there are plants which will thrive all the 
better in shade or partial shade. 



GARDEN PLANNING 



One great charm of the rock garden is its 
variety, and that can best be maintained by 
providing all the conditions of aspect and ex- 
posure demanded by the various plants avail- 
able for our purpose. 

Materials — Perhaps the best material for 
the purpose is sandstone, but in most cases 
the gardener has to be content with what is 
most easily obtainable in his district. A 
hard, close-grained sandstone, granitic rock, or 
tuffa, limestone, and conglomerate will do. 
Soft stones which crumble away under weather 
influence are obviously unsuitable. 

If natural stone is unprocurable, or its cost 
prohibitive, then the gardener must make 
shift with brickyard waste, but he should select 
that which is porous. 

Clinkers, vitrified brick fi apments, dressed 
stone blocks, portions of decayed statuary, 
lumps of alabaster, minerals, and sea-shells 
should never be seen in the alpine garden. 
Tree stumps also should be avoided, as they 
harbour fungi to the detriment of the plants. 

The stone pieces should not be too small nor 
too uniform in size. Good bold pieces up to 
the largest size the gardener can conveniently 



THE ROCK GARDEN I 57 

handle should be procured, and by preference 
they should be quadrangular, though only very 
roughly so. 

Professional constructors sometimes use an 
artificial stone made on the spot, by plastering 
a coloured cement over a basis of rough brick- 
work. I have seen some very clever work of 
this kind, indistinguishable from a natural 
out-crop of rock, and, for all I know to the con- 
trary, it may serve excellently. But unless 
done by skilled hands accustomed to imitating 
the form and stratification of the natural rock, 
it would be a failure. I have seen it suggested 
that good imitation rocks may be made by 
coating brickyard waste with Portland cement. 
The objection to these processes is the liability 
of the artificial surface to be flaked off by frost 
or rough usage, thereby exposing the fraud. 

Soil — In this particular we cannot do better 
than follow nature. We have seen that in 
alpine regions the crevices in the rocks become 
filled with fine debris, the disintegrated par- 
ticles of the rock itself, and therefore contain- 
ing small stones and sand, with which, of course, 
is associated humus derived from decaying 
plant life. This, then, suggests an artificial 



GARDEN PLANNING 



mixture for our rock garden in which similar 
ingredients find place. Such a mixture may 
be made as follows: 

Good friable loam ... 6 parts 

Chips of sandstone . . . i part 

Sand or road scrapings . . 2 parts 

Leaf mould i part 

To this may be added a moderate proportion 
of well-decayed stable manure. The whole 
should be well mixed and is then ready for use. 

Although the above compost will suit the 
greater number of plants usually grown in a 
rock garden, it is unsuitable for bog plants and 
for those which thrive best in a calcareous 
soil. 

To meet the needs of these it is desirable to 
reserve a place where some peat may be intro- 
duced for the benefit of the bog plants, and to 
add a limy constituent to the compost (Hme 
or broken limestone) for those parts of the gar- 
den in which it is intended to grow lime-loving 
plants. Beyond that it is hardly feasible or 
worth while to go in specializing the soil. 

The prepared soil must be entirely free from 
clay, and to ensure this care should be taken 
to obtain the proper kind of loam. 



THE ROCK GARDEN I 59 

Making — Having obtained the rocks and the 
soil, and having selected a suitable site for the 
rock garden, the forming of its contours may 
be undertaken. In most cases a path will 
pass through it, but this will have to be made 
last. Bearing in mind the importance of drain- 
age, the gardener must first decide whether 
his rockwork shall stand above the general 
surface or be partly sunk below it. On heavy 
clay soil the former plan is best; on a 
gravel, or other kind of porous soil, the 
latter. A sunk garden has the advantage 
that the excavated soil is useful for building 
up the banks, provided, of course, that it is 
suitable as an ingredient in the compost just 
described. 

The gardener may next proceed to mark out 
the plan, by pegging or otherwise, and then 
barrow the soil into place. Now comes an im- 
portant part of the operation, for the final 
effect is controlled by the way in which he 
arranges his heaps. He should endeavour to 
avoid a formal or symmetrical distribution of 
masses, which is never seen in nature, by throw- 
ing them up as if their shape and height were a 
matter of chance. 



i6o 



GARDEN PLANNING 



The illustration below gives a suggestion of 
what should be aimed at. Not until he has com- 
pleted the whole of the base-work should he add 
the rocks, because as the work proceeds he may 



find it advisable to raise the ground here or 
lower it there to improve its contours, which he 
should view from various standpoints to make 
sure that he has obtained a good general effect. 

That much accomplished, the gardener may 
commence to place his rocks by outlining with 
them the foot of each slope,thereby at the same 
time defining his path. For this part of the 
work he should select rocks of various sizes, 
here and there introducing a bold mass to ac- 
centuate some angle, thereby avoiding the 
effect of an artificial edging. This edging must 
be well done, with the rocks in close contact, 




Fig. 40. — Earthwork in the rock garden 



THE ROCK GARDEN 



i6i 



otherwise much soil will be subsequently washed 
out on to the gravel; but no cementing medium 
should be employed. Such crevices as remain 
may be well rammed with compost, and will 
then offer temptation to the plants to thread 
them with rootlets, by which the soil will be 
sufficiently held in place. 

In laying down the line of the path no at- 
tempt should be made to maintain equality of 
width throughout. On the contrary, a much 
better effect is secured if the path varies in 
width. I would even advocate the placing, at 
one or more spots, of an island of rockwork in 
or near the centre of a specially contrived ex- 
pansion of the path. (See Figs. 105, 116, 129.) 




Fig. 41. — Rockwork section 



The soil may next be brought forward to 
stand level with the rocks at all points, thus 
affording a basis on which to proceed with the 
next tier, which, with those above it, must be 
contrived as a number of irregular pockets 



l62 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Standing at different levels, and not as a series 
of parallel terraces, which would be an obviously 
artificial arrangement. Here again bold pieces 
of rock must be used at irregular intervals, 
constituting miniature ramparts, over which 
some pretty trailing plant will later on make a 
gay show, or which a delicate arenaria may 

clothe with its velvet 




Fig. 42. — Rocks in relation to soil 



The rock masses should not be deeply buried. 
A good rule is that on the exposed side no rock 
should be deeper in the soil than one fourth of 
its height, or sufficient to effectively anchor it 
in place. 

The rock masses should not lie higgledy- 
piggledy, but there should be some kind of 
relation amongst them, which is best secured 
by giving all the flattened masses a slight tilt 
in some particular direction, to convey the 
idea of a naturally inclined stratification. 



THE ROCK GARDEN 163 

Rocks set on end, sugarloaf fashion, are not 
infrequently seen in the gardens of amateurs, 
but they should be omitted by those who aim 
at the best effect. If height is desired at some 
given point, a couple of bold masses may be 
superimposed, led up to by other pieces, as 
would occur in nature. 




Fig. 43. — Arrangement of rock masses 



The pockets or spaces of bare soil should 
vary in size, and be irregular in shape. They 
should never take the form of a series of scal- 
lops. Some inclination may be allowed to the 
soil, but not much, or it will certainly travel 
downward with each shower of rain. 

Rough steps may be introduced at a suitable 
point or points, say to give access to the rock 
garden from the grass plot. These steps may 
be built of flat rock pieces, their crevices being 
filled with soil, in which rock-foils and stone- 



164 



GARDEN PLANNING 



crops may afterward be encouraged to grow. 
If these steps be introduced, it is better to 
carry them between two adjacent mounds than 
to make them ascend a conspicuous elevation. 
A visit to a well-made rock garden — that ac 
Kew, England, for example — in the winter- 
time will afford the gardener much practical 
guidance in this kind of work. He will see 
just how far it is possible to realize a naturalistic 
effect, and may gain some wrinkles in regard 
to the disposition of his rocks. 

The Kew alpine garden is not the most 
nature-like garden of its kind, because other 
considerations have had weight, such, for in- 
stance, as the convenience of many spectators, 
and the need for accommodating a represent- 
ative collection of alpine plants. Still it is suffi- 
ciently typical of good work to be worthy of 
imitation. 

There are rock gardens in which the chief 
charm is their rocks, placed together so skil- 
fully that they might be mistaken for a natural 
out-crop. Such gardens have cost their owners 
many hundreds of dollars, but they are no bet- 
ter for their purpose than the more simple 
type of garden I am describing. The gardener 



THE ROCK GARDEN 165 

must try to avoid appearances which indicate 
too obviously the artificial character of the 
work. For instance, a promontory formed at 
a bend in the path should have a line more 
nearly approaching the first than the second 
figure in the accompanying illustration. 




Fig. 44. — Arrangements of rock masses 



An artist would instinctively produce good 
contours; the less favoured individual must be 
guided by these precepts, and by such examples 
as he may find to imitate. 

Though I do not offer it as an inducement to 
indifferent work, I may remark that Nature is 
ever kind to her votaries, and when the garden 
has been planted she will do her best to conceal 
shortcomings. 

For bog plants it is well to arrange one or 
more bays, in which the peat may lie in a level 
surface, as peat is unstable on a slope. An 



GARDEN PLANNING 



angle in the general structure may be cut off 
by a line of small rock pieces (not a straight 
line), and in that way a large pocket at the base- 
level can be made, in which the peat may be 
laid on a not too porous subsoil. Bog plants 
demand a water-logged home. If water is 




Fig. 45. — Arrangements of peat in the rock garden 

associated with the rock garden, the place for 
bog plants is at its edge, where the peat 
may be allowed in actual contact with the 
water. 

When all the rocks are in place, and the result 
when critically viewed is satisfactory, the gar- 
dener should proceed to fill in all holes and 



THE ROCK GARDEN 167 

crevices with his compost, using a thin wooden 
blade, or bricklayer's trowel, to probe them, 
to ensure that the soil gets down to the lowest 
levels. After the first heavy shower of rain 
he should go over the structure again, replen- 
ishing the soil where it has sunk in. 

If of necessity he has had to use brick waste 
as a substitute for rocks, his task will not have 
been so easy, for it is not possible to entirely 
disguise their character. Yet with a little 
ingenuity he may secure a very passable result. 
The large masses will consist of many bricks 
cemented together in the burning, thus show- 
ing a decided, if rather artificial, stratification. 
These pieces he should place with their longer 
joints horizontal, or at such a slight tilt as 
he may decide. He may be tempted to so 
place them that their component bricks stand 
on end, with a view to availing himself of the 
crannies between them, but that would be a 
bad arrangement, as will be understood from 
the foregoing considerations. 

There is no need to outline the back margin 
of the bank with rocks. The soil there may 
just run off into the level of the ground. 

When the structure of soil and rock is finished 



i68 



GARDEN PLANNING 



the gravel floor of the rock garden may be laid 
in the way directed for path making. 

I need hardly warn the reader against the 
use of water-worn rock pieces which have a 
uniform pebble-like shape. I haA'e seen them 
used, but only w^ith grotesque effect. On the 
other hand, a few rounded pebbles introduced 
along the margin of the rock structure are not 
out of place, suggesting, as they do, an old 
water-course, and serving to retain soil washed 
down from the higher levels. 

Planting — Autumn is the time for planting, 
and no special directions are needed for the 
practical work of putting the plants into the 
soil. It should be done in the same way as 
when planting a bed or border. The mode of 
construction I have described ensures that there 
is ample depth of soil. 

Discrimination should be used in selecting 
the plants for special positions. The smaller 
subjects like sedum, saxifrage, and semper- 
vivum will thrive when rooted in crannies, 
and some on the porous surface of the rock 
itself, as witness the common house-leek. A 
few of these plants may be established at the 
margin of the rockwork and allowed to 



THE ROCK GARDEN 



169 



intrude upon the gravel within Hmits. They 
will soften the hard line where rock and gravel 
meet. 

Plants of trailing habit should be put near 
the top of a miniature precipice, over which 
they will hang their flexible shoots and in due 
course paint its surface with brilliant colour. 

Tall plants should go mostly to the higher 
levels. Give each plant elbow-room to allow 
for growth and expansion, but plant fully, so - 
that when the plants are established there shall 
be little bare soil visible. Chinks in the vertical 
surfaces should not be neglected — they will 
carry their share of plant life, if care be taken 
to insert the roots and ram the soil well in 
contact with them. Ferns will thrive in similar 
places, and, preferably, they should be located 
in the shady corners. 

The choice of plants is a vast one, but it is 
well for the novice to limit it at first to the more 
hardy kinds, than which he will find none more 
beautiful. 

At the back of all, on the topmost level, 
small flow^ering deciduous and evergreen shrubs 
may be associated with tall perennials like 
starwort and snapdragon. 



170 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Space and means may forbid a very ambitious 
effort, and it may thus be necessary to confine 
the rockwork to a single bank against the 
boundary wall or fence. In that event it is 
well to clothe the artificial background with 
ivy or other creepers. 

The rock garden should not end abruptly. 
It is better to let it gradually merge into the 
general surface of the ground, some detached 
pieces of rock being placed on the level beyond 
the raised part of the rock garden, just as we 
should find in nature. Many alpine plants 
will thrive perfectly well on the level, if they 
are protected from the encroachment of coarser 
plants. Thus these outlying rock pieces may 
be enshrined in masses of gentian, aubrietia, 
or saxifrage, which, unconstrained by any 
rocky limits, will spread into wide cushions of 
colour. 

Learn to know your plants by sight and don't 
label them. The appearance of a labelled rock 
garden in the spring, before the plants have put 
forward their foliage, is depressing, and 
reminiscent of the auction room. 

Wall Gardens — Nature has shown us how 
she can clothe an old wall with her treasures, 



THE ROCK GARDEN I7I 

and the plants thus naturally established often 
display a charming habit in adapting themselves 
to their artificial home. Who has not seen a 
ruined wall topped with wallflower, snapdragon, 
toadflax, and sedum, or hung with the charming 
foliage and quaint, lipped flowers of Linaria 
Cymhalaria? To imitate this is not difficult, 
but we require the right kind of wall; not the 
new, neatly pointed red brick affair, but a 
thing of cracks, crevices, and crannies, such as 
we find enclosing some old country garden. 
Given this, the rest is easy. We have only to 
rub some fine soil into the chinks and to sow the 
seed of such plants as we desire, covering them 
up with soil to prevent the birds abstracting 
them, and in due course we shall have our 
colony of alpines. 

If no wall exists, then we must build one, 
and in doing so we may make provision for 
as much plant life as we please. The wall 
may be of concrete, rubble, rough stone, or 
old bricks. Of these, perhaps the best are the 
last three, though with bricks, unless ample 
spaces are left between them, there would be 
difficulty in finding sufficient lodgment for 
the plants. Stone and rubble, using irregular 



172 GARDEN PLANNING 

blocks, would give opportunity for earth pockets 
and crevices of various sizes. There should 
be no pointing, and only so much mortar used 
as is necessary to secure stability. Large 
spaces may be filled with the compost recom- 
mended for the rock garden and then sown. 
The smaller crevices may be filled with soil 
mixed with the seeds. The sowing should 
be done in the autumn. 



CHAPTER XII 



The Rose Garden 

In a small garden there is nothing to be 
gained by providing a separate place for the 
roses; on the contrary, they may be freely 
associated with the other flowers in bed and 
border with the best effect. 

Just why it became the practice in days 
gone by to give the roses a department to 
themselves is not clear, though there seems 
to have been some idea that the rose standard 
did not harmonize with plants of bushy habit. 
In the present day no such consideration pre- 
vails, and gardeners do not hesitate to admit 
the rose into every part of the garden. 

We cannot have too many roses, and there 
is no position where they are out of place. The 
walls and fences deserve their share. The 
house walls are never so beautiful as when 
clothed wi-th healthy and prolific climbers. 
In the shrubbery they help to redeem the 
173 



174 GARDEN PLANNING 

masses of monotonous green foliage. On the 
lawn, as standards or pillars, they add a wel- 
come note of colour, and in beds and borders 
they contribute their quota to the general 
effect. Even as hedges, roses have their use, 
and for arches, pergolas, and festoons no 
more charming climbers are available. Pegged 
down, or trained over an iromvork dome, they 
make glorious bushes of flower and foliage. 

I have written enough to show that the 
rose has no claim to be kept in a place by itself, 
yet this does not imply that the rose garden 
is necessarily a superfluity where ample space 
exists. Indeed, there is something extremely 
attractive in a well-planned rose garden. It 
is a practical token of homage to the queen 
of flowers, and it demonstrates that the rose, 
before all other flowers, can be grown in a 
place by itself without producing a monotonous 
effect. This follows from its variety in form, 
colour, and foliage. 

A sunny site should be selected for the rose 
garden, and, following ancient usage, we cannot 
do better than lay it out formally. I am no 
advocate of a formal garden in 'its severest 
mood, but formality is not the product of 



THE ROSE GARDEN 1 75 

shape alone in the garden details, as I have 
elsewhere shown. I can conceive of beds and 
borders of informal outline treated quite for- 
mally in the planting and accessories. I can- 
not imagine any benefit to the roses from 
planting them anyhow. We know little of 
the rose in a state of nature, for our garden 
roses are mostly a product of the nurseryman's 
art. They are perhaps the most artificial of 
all flowers. 

We shall not therefore be in danger of out- 
raging good taste if we make our rose garden 
on formal lines, by which I mean if we plan 
it on a symmetrical basis. 

The most common method is to cut the rose 
beds in grass, and there is much to be said 
in favour of grass as a setting for our roses. 
In evolving a design it is well to obseri'e certain 
points now to be mentioned. The beds should 
not be elaborate in outline nor too small. The 
groups should show a geometrical relation be- 
tween their component beds in the way I 
have advised for groups of flower beds generally. 

The illustration (Fig. 46) shows typical 
rose gardens as I might plan them on a grass 
space, and it should be noted that the outlying 



176 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 46. — Rose beds in grass Fig. 47. — Rose beds in gravel 



THE ROSE GARDEN I77 

borders give a sense of enclosure and sanctity 
to the whole arrangement, which may be 
enhanced by planting their outer lines with 
standards or pillars. 

The introduction of arches at suitable points 
is an excellent device for obtaining height. 

The necessary shelter in exposed situations 
may be contrived by the use of rose or sweet- 
brier hedges, or of roses trained upon a skele- 
ton fence. 

It is not unusual to carry a path through 
the rose garden, or to set it where two paths 
intersect at right angles. The point of inter- 
section is sometimes marked by a sundial or 
vase. When a path or paths lead into the rose 
garden, the beds may be separated by gravel, 
thereby excluding grass altogether. 

Such gardens are shown in the accompany- 
ing illustration (Fig. 47). I have no quarrel 
with that arrangement, and it may be made 
dainty and trim by the use of neatly clipped 
box edgings. One loses, however, the delight- 
ful background an emerald turf supplies. 

There is no reason why the rose garden should 
take a shape having equal dimensions both 
ways. It may be long and narrow, and I am not 



178 GARDEN PLANNING 

sure that that is not the best form, especially 
when space is restricted. It can be better 
brought into harmony with the adjacent parts 
of the garden. As a walk, too, it is less tedious 
to traverse. 

Roses make considerable demands upon the 



I Fig. 48, — A long rose garden ' " j 

soil, and therefore rose beds and borders 
should be deeply trenched in the first in- 
stance, and treated liberally with manure. The 
common impression that clay soil is the best 
for roses is not altogether correct. They will 
thrive in almost any soiL provided they are 
well supplied with fertilizing matter. In light 
soils the manure we give them is not retained 
so long as in heavy soil, and thus, under care- 
less culture, they may suffer starvation. For 
this reason, if the soil is sandy and light, it is 
well to add a proportion of heavier material 



THE ROSE GARDEN 1 79 

to give it tenacity and retentive quality, and 
in manuring to use cow manure. If the garden 
is made upon turf, then dig in the sods, and 
add any other decaying vegetable matter you 
may have available. 

On heavy land it may be necessary to drain 
the rose bed. This may be done by throwing 
out the soil to a depth of three feet, adding 
nine inches of rubble or brick rubbish, and then 
filling up with soil. In such case it is well 
to bring the level of the beds well above that 
of the ground. Thorough preparation of the 
rose bed is the surest guarantee of future 
success. 

Planting should be done in the autumn, 
preferably between mid-October and the end 
of November, though it may be done later 
if the winter be open. 

The operation of planting cannot be too 
carefully conducted. Holes should be dug 
of ample size, with the bottom formed dome- 
shaped to facilitate arranging the roots. 

These should be separated and distributed 
fadially over the bottom of the hole. Fine 
soil should then be placed over the rootlets, 
moving the stem of the plant up and down 



i8o 



GARDEN PLANNING 



to allow it to penetrate among them. The 
remainder of the soil may then be added and 
firmly rammed down. It should not be heaped 
round the stem, but left slightly depressed 
so as to facilitate watering. It would appear 
i • that there is little to be 

' f gained by care in spread- 

ing the roots, experiments 
showing that careless plant- 
ing is equally favourable to 
the plant. Be that as it 
may, there is no doubt 
that the care devoted to 
arranging the roots as 
widely spread as possible 
at the foot of the hole 
renders excellent service in 
anchoring the plant to the 
Fig. 49.- Planting roses g^-j^ enabling it the better 

to withstand the buffeting of the wind. If no 
rain follows planting, it is advisable to give 
some water about a week after, and a mulch- 
ing of manure may then be put around each 
plant to afford protection from frost. 

Roses must not be crowded together too 
closely. Standards should not be less than 




THE ROSE GARDEN l8l 

three feet apart, and bushes not less than one 
and a half to two feet. 

I question whether it is ever desirable to use 
standards of greater height than three feet. 
The lanky, bent specimens one sees occasion- 
ally pointing skyward are truly ugly, and have 
' no raison d'etre. 

Standards look better in groups than in 
single file, though the latter arrangement 
may sometimes be desirable when it is intended 
to introduce a well-marked line. 

The disposition of the plants in a rose garden 
is largely a matter of taste. With many beds 
to fill, we may devote each bed to several 
roses of the same colour or kind, and thus get 
our colour effect in masses. On the other 
hand, with a less elaborate garden, contrasting 
or harmonizing colours may be associated 
together in the same bed or border. The 
range of colour in roses is so great and so har- 
monious that one can hardly make a mistake, 
except perhaps in associating the magenta- 
tinted varieties with reds and pinks of purer 
hue. The former, carrying as they do a note 
of blue, go better side by side with whites 
and yellows. The presence of too large a 



l82 



GARDEN PLANNING 



proportion of whites is to be condemned, as 
they tell more strongly in the picture than 
coloured varieties. 

China roses, with their dwarf habit, beautiful 
foliage, and brilliant colours, should not be 
overlooked. They may be used in beds by 
themselves, in the front part of the borders, 
or between standards where the climate allows. 



CHAPTER XIII 



Water in the Garden 

There is something so delightful in the living, 
moving presence of water in the landscape 
that gardeners may be excused their desire 
to introduce it into their flower ground. Yet 
in a garden of limited size it should be recog- 
nized that the effect which appeals to us amidst 
natural surroundings is practically unrealizable. 
At the same time the conditions may be such 
that water can be introduced without appearing 
to be too artificial a feature. This applies 
particularly to gardens bounded by a natural 
stream or through which such a stream passes. 

When the water has to be derived from the 
domestic supply and contained in artificial 
ponds it is a different matter. But even then 
it may be possible to avoid olfence provided 
the gardener contents himself with simple 
arrangements. Any sense of artificiahty that 
may arise can be counteracted by the inherent 
183 



184 GARDEN PLANNING 

interest in luxuriant water growth and the 
delightful blooms we get from such purely- 
aquatic plants as water-lilies and callas. 

It may, however, be stated at the outset 
that the making of a water garden is a simple 
matter compared with its efficient maintenance. 
No gardener should lightly embark upon the 
task unless he is prepared to give unremitting 
attention to his water plants and to their 
artificial homes. This implies frequent chang- 
ing of water and cleansing of ponds. 

In town and suburban gardens organic 
matter, dead leaves, and other undesirable 
things are wafted by the wind or fall upon the 
water surface, where they remain to decay 
and defile the water. 

When a running stream is available, these 
drawbacks operate less prejudicially, though 
they are not altogether absent. 

I shall first consider the case of a garden 
bounded by a stream at its far end. We may 
assume that the water is pure enough for our 
purpose. The probability is that the gardener 
would have no rights over the water, but also 
that no objection would exist to his diverting 
some of it through his garden. In such an 



WATER IN THE GARDEN 1 85 

event he might excavate a backwater, say with 
an extension in the form of a bay, as shown 
in the illustration (Fig. 50). 

By this means he would obtain a piece of 
running water (A), and a piece (B) more or 
less stagnant, but 
not so stagnant as to 
require any special 
device for changing 
it. The depth need 
not exceed eighteen 
inches. The island 
C would be useful 
for treatment with 
bold waterside 
plants, and the mar- 
gins of the back- 
water and pond 

, , , Fig. 50. — A water garden 

could accommodate 

others of less sturdy growth. Clear spaces 
should be left for access to the water's edge and 
to permit of the plants being seen. A small 
collection of dwarf hybrid nympheas may be 
established in the pond B and in the backwater, 
with which might be associated our common 
native pond lily. Other plants may be added if 




GARDEN PLANNING 



Space permits, including such interesting sub- 
jects as the pickerel weed, the flowering rush, 
and water buttercup. Typha and swamp mal- 
low might be planted along the fence line 
at B. 

Irises will thrive at the margin of the water, 
as well as such favourite flowers as phlox, 
trollius, spirea, and a host of others. With very 
little trouble in the making and common-sense 
management, a piece of water of this kind could 
be made a source of perennial interest. When all 
is complete and the plants are established it 
would only remain to keep the entrances clear 
and to remove all rubbish which might find 
access to the water. No deciduous trees or 
shrubs should be placed near the water, for 
reasons already explained. 

A water system of this kind might be wedded 
to a rock garden with a good effect. 

In excavating the water bed the sides should 
slope gently to the edge, or trouble will ensue 
by the banks breaking away and fouling the 
water. This also ensures that the soil is water- 
logged for some distance from the water's 
edge, and is therefore in a condition for sup- 
porting a colony of semi-aquatic plants. 



WATER IN THE GARDEN 1 87 

When a stream intersects the garden, a 
rather more ambitious effort is possible. 

The general treatment should be such as 
to considerably expand the water area, and 
this may be done by adopting an arrangement 
like that illustrated in Fig. 51, in which a 
lily pond is made in 
that part of the 
garden beyond the 
brook, having inlet 
and outlet, thus se- 
curing a water cir- 
culation. Bays 
should be formed on 
the near side. Com- 
munication across 
the stream may be 
by means of a 

simple bridge, or Fig- 51— A water garden 

stepping-stones if the water is shallow. 
The gardener should resist the temptation 
to give a "rustic" character to his bridge. 
It should be a plain affair, well and firmly 
built, as befits its purpose, and provided 
with a hand-rail on either side. What has 
been written in regard to making and plant- 




i88 



GARDEN PLANNING 



ing in the previous case applies to this one 
also. As water gardening is never likely 
to engage the attention of more than a minority 
of gardeners I need not multiply examples. 
The hints I have already given will prove suffi- 
ciently instructive to those who may wish to 
avail themselves of the possibilities of a stream 
accessible from the garden. 

I shall now refer to a type of water garden 
which is frankly artificial and depends for its 
water supply on the kitchen tap or the pump. 
This last condition demands that we should 
study economy of water, and that can best 
be done by devising what I may call a cir- 
culating system. 

The first consideration will be the planning 
of the ponds (for such they are) and in that we 
must be guided by the levels in our garden and 
our desires in the matter of water area. 

If there is a distinct slope in the garden 
surface, so much the better; it will help us 
to a simple arrangement for running off the 
water, as must be done from time to time 
to keep our ponds clean and their tenants 
in healthy condition. 

The waste or overflow from the pond or 



WATER IN THE GARDEN 1 89 

series of ponds must be provided for, and when 
the garden slopes toward the house the most 
convenient way is to carry it into a gully in 




Fig. 52. — Soak-away drain 



connection with the house drainage system. 
When the slope is in a contrary direction the 
best expedient is to make a "soak-away" 
drain, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 52). 
This is merely a pit sunk in the soil and filled 
with rubble, into which the overflow pipe is 
conducted. 

The ponds must be constructed with an 
impervious bottom, say by the use of cement 
or concrete. 



190 GARDEN PLANNING 

Fig. 53 shows both the mode of forming 
the bottom and of building up the sides, and 
calls for little by way of description. If rock 
or rubble sides are used, as in D, they 
must be built in cement, care being taken to 
make the joints watertight. The floor may 
then be made with six or eight inches of con- 
crete, faced with cement. The surface should 
not be finished to a dead level, but should have 




Fig. 53. — Ponds 



a slight fall toward the outlet, to facilitate 
running off the water. 

If the pond sides are built of cement, C 
must be followed, making the edges battered, 
and finishing them neatly at top with a rounded 
nosing, which can be done with a former of 



WATER IN THE GARDEN I9I 

wood like that illustrated. Fresh cement 
of good quality should be used, tempered with 
a third part of sharp sand. 

Pipes for inlets and outlets should be inserted 
when the sides of the pond are being made. If 
a single pond is installed it will only be neces- 
sary to carry a waste-pipe from its bottom to 
the drain. This should be done in a straight 
line, if possible, to facilitate unstopping in case 
of obstruction. The most suitable piping 
is iron gas pipe of not less internal diameter 
than one and a half inches. A plug must be 
provided to close the inlet, and this may be 
a simple cone of wood fitted to the bore of 
the pipe. 

When two or more ponds are made, they 
should be connected by piping into a single 
system, the waste-pipe connecting the one 
nearest the drain to it. 

If all ponds stand at the same level, the 
connecting pipes may enter and leave at the 
bottom, but if the levels are stepped, as would 
be the case on sloping ground, the overflow 
from each pond to the next lower one of the 
series must be placed at the water-line, other- 
wise the water would all flow to the lowest 



192 GARDEN PLANNING 

pond. This point is made clear in the dia- 
grams A and B. The filling up and renewal 
of the water may be done conveniently with 
the garden hose. 

Although I have applied the term "cir- 
culating system" to the arrangements just 
described, it should be understood that they 
are not adapted to ensure a constant move- 
ment of water, which is quite unnecesly 
sary. Water-lilies will thrive in perfectly 
stagnant water which has not been changed 
for months, but it is neither wholesome 
nor pleasant to allow the same water 
to remain in the ponds indefinitely. 
Hence the usefulness of some means for 
running off the foul water and refilling with 
fresh. 

When the gardener has done his work, he 
should fill the ponds, mark the water-level, 
and allow them to stand for a week, noting 
whether there is any leakage, which would 
show itself by a drop in the surface level. 
If all is satisfactory, the water may be 
run off and the ponds will be ready for 
planting. 

The end of April is the best time for planting 



WATER IN THE GARDEN 



the hardy nympheas. The soil may be a 
compost consisting of: 



If the first ingredient cannot be obtained 
it may be omitted and double the quantities of 
loam and leaf-mould substituted. 

A layer of drainage material (broken tile 
or brick rubbish) should be spread upon the 
pond floor, on which the compost should 
be heaped to the water-level height at the 
points where the plants are to be placed. 
The water may then be admitted and 
allowed to stand for a couple of days 
to assume the temperature of the atmos- 
phere. The plants may then be inserted in 
their mounds, which by this time will have 
settled down considerably below the water- 
level. 

The water may be run off and renewed at 
fortnightly intervals, or even less often if it 
shows no tendency to become fouled. Twice 
a year the ponds must be thoroughly cleansed 
to remove decayed vegetable matter, leaves 



Pond mud 
Loam . 
Leaf-mould 
Road scrapings 



2 parts 
I part 
I part 
I part 



194 GARDEN PLANNING 

and rubbish which are certain to accumulate 
at the bottom. 

The introduction of animal life is useful 
in restraining undesirable vegetable growth, 
water-snails particularly. Goldfish will do well 
even under somewhat unfavourable conditions 
of stagnation, and are equally useful for the 
purpose. 

The matter-of-fact gardener may question 
whether all this trouble is worth while for the 
purpose of growing a few water plants. I 
think it is. Indeed, the sight of only three or 
four good, healthy water-lilies in flower in 
one's own garden is sufficiently interesting 
to constitute ample recompense for some small 
initial trouble and outlay, and the enthusiastic 
flower-lover will not grudge the subsequent 
labour of tending them. 

I know one such person who grows a col- 
lection of miniature nympheas in tubs sunk 
in the ground with most gratifying success. 
Where space is limited his example may be 
followed. The best plan is to excavate a 
deep hole, say twice the depth of the tub, 
and to fill the bottom with rubble, so that when 
the tub is bedded upon it the rim will stand 



WATER IN THE GARDEN I95 

just above the level of the ground. A centre- 
bit hole must be made in the bottom of the 
tub and fitted with a plug long enough to give 
a good hand-hold. A piece of perforated 
zinc should be nailed over the hole at its under 
bide, to prevent coarse debris running through 
and choking the drainage material below. 
These expedients, simple enough to put into 
practice, are all that is necessary to provide 
for an occasional change of water. 




Fig. 54. — Tub for water plants 



The hard circular outline of the tub is the 
only objection on the score of appearance. 
The best way to mask it is to pack some boggy 
soil around and between the tubs, and to grow 
in it small water-side plants, which, if suitably 



196 GARDEN PLANNING 

chosen, will spread over the rims and hide 
their outline, without unduly excluding light 
and air from the water plants. 

If possible rain-water should be used. The 
nympheas particularly are intolerant of hard 
water. When introducing fresh water it should 
be run in slowly if it is sensibly colder than the 
atmosphere, otherwise the plants may be chilled 
and checked in their growth. 

It is quite easy for the supply to dribble 
in from a hose, the waste plug being loosened 
to permit the foul water to escape slowly at 
the same time. Besides the nympheas there 
are many other interesting if not as conspicu- 
ously beautiful plants that may be grown 
in the water garden. The calla has already 
been mentioned, and is perhaps best kept 
in its pot and plunged into the water, as it 
will not stand the winter out of doors. The 
English arrowhead is a bold, handsome, and 
desirable plant, particularly in its double 
form. Typha — the reed-mace (commonly 
called "buUrush") — is easily established, 
and the native yellow flag, though only semi- 
aquatic, will thrive in shallow water on a deep 
bed of soil. 



CHAPTER XIV 



The Vegetable Garden 

The owner of a small plot, who loves his 
flowers and values a completely artistic general 
effect in his garden, is usually content to leave 
vegetables alone. In town and suburban 
gardens I think he is well advised, because the 
atmospheric conditions may not be favourable 
to the growth of culinary plants in that state 
of cleanliness which fits them for food. 

But, leaving this consideration out of the 
question, it is doubtful whether the results 
are commensurate with the trouble involved, 
when you can buy good vegetables cheaply. 

I would say nothing to deter the enthusiast 
from taking up vegetable culture if his tastes 
lie in that direction. It is as interesting to 
some people to grow a cabbage as a chrysan- 
themum. 

There are gardens and gardens, and, given 
a pure atmosphere and sufficient space, the 

197 



198 



GARDEN PLANNING 



vegetable garden may find its legitimate place 
and usefulness. The reader who has studied 
the general principles I have applied to the 
designing of a flower garden will have noted 
that I advocate placing the principal flower 
borders near the north boundary, wherever 
that may come, and that I gave good reasons 
for running the principal path alongside or 
between them. Generally this path starts 
from the house and terminates somewhere 
at the remote end of the garden. If the vege- 
table ground is to occupy its usual place at 
the end of the plot, the main path may con- 
tinue into and through it. On the other 




Fig- 55- — Borders through a vegetable garden 

hand, it may be more convenient to approach 
the vegetable plot by an offshoot from the 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN I99 

main path. In either case I advocate the use 
of a device to which I have already referred. 
This consists in continuing the flower borders 
on both sides of the path through the vege- 
table plot, in the way shown in the illustration. 

The result is to extend the principal garden 
vista in length, thus increasing the sense of 
space, and, at the same time, to screen, more 
or less, the part devoted to vegetables. 

It is true that these borders absorb a certain 
amount of space, but that must be allowed for 
in fixing the dimensions of the vegetable plot. 
To complete the scheme it only remains to 
add a transverse hedge or other barrier at the 
near end of the vegetable plot and the thing 
is done. These supplementary borders, if 
preferred, may be reserved for flowers intended 
for cutting, and some part for raising seedlings, 
striking cuttings, and other utilitarian purposes. 

I have in mind a charming suburban garden 
arranged in this way, in which the kitchen 
plot with its borders of bold perennials, backed 
by espaliers, and edged with herbs, is not the 
least interesting part of the garden. 

But there are many other touches the gar- 
dener may give to his vegetable ground to 



200 



GARDEN PLAXXIXG 



bring it into harmony with the garden as a 
whole. A bower-like structure can be made 
to support a colony of scarlet runners, whose 
coral flowers will give a piquant note of colour 
to an uninteresting corner, the while it provides 
the gardener with succulent food. The bold, 
handsome foliage of the rhubarb, and the 
rambling growth of the vegetable marrow are 
good to look upon, and did they not contribute 
to our table they would assuredly be grown 
for their beauty alone. And what is more 
graceful than the fairy foliage of the asparagus? 
Bearing these points in mind, therefore, the 
gardener may make picturesque capital out 
of his kitchen garden tenants if he is careful 
to dispose them to advantage. I do not wish 
it to be understood, however, that any steps 
taken in that direction are to be in opposition 
to the common-sense principles of vegetable 
culture. 

The gardener with a heart attuned to vege- 
tables will find places for a few fruit trees, 
which are always useful in the garden picture. 
The abundant blossom of his cherry, apple, 
and plum trees is a valuable asset at a time of 
year when flowers are scarce, when the borders 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



201 



have scarcely awakened from their winter 
sleep. What is more beautiful than a spray 
of rose-flecked apple blossom arching the 
path, or, later, the sun-kissed fruit showing 
its ruddy spheres amidst the darkening foliage? 

And if the flower garden is to invade the 
vegetable plot, w^hy not the converse? Fruit 
trees upon the grass plot have just as much 
value as the che tnut or laburnum, both for 
flower and shade, and against a north wall 
they will cover much uninteresting brick and 
mortar, and yield their crop without detracting 
from the usefulness of the border for flower- 
growing. 

Even the boundary hedge between flower 
and vegetable plot may be made of espaliers, 
or such easily trained fruit bushes as logan- 
berry, wine-berry, and blackberry. 

The gardener of resource will find no diffi- 
culty in putting these hints into practice. 
There is nothing new in them. The associa- 
tion of flowers and vegetables in the kitchen 
garden was common in the walled-in gardens 
of a century ago; but the practice was not 
introduced with quite the same objects as 
those here detailed, because in those days the 



202 



GARDEN PLANNING 



vegetable ground was a thing by itself, and 
no one thought of blending it with the flower 
ground. 

Apart, however, from this question of har- 
monizing the two main departments of the 
garden, I would advance the plea for neatness, 
order, and picturesque effect in the kitchen 
garden. The soil should be constrained by 
edgings to keep it off the paths, and for this 
purpose there is possibly no better material 
than ordinary builder's bricks laid on edge. 
Just inside the brick line a row of parsley 
plants will make a fresh, massy, green band, 
and elsewhere the other herbs may help to 
outline the garden divisions and give finish 
to the beds; at the same time all will be con- 
veniently accessible. 

Let us now look into the more practical 
details of the kitchen garden design. It is 
good practice to subdivide the plots into 
separate beds with narrow paths between, 
as shown in Fig. 55. Such beds may have 
dimensions determined by the space available 
and by the owner's intentions as regards the 
crops to be grown. 

In a small vegetable ground annexed to a 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 203 

garden of the size under consideration, a width 
of twelve feet in most cases would be a good 
dimension to adopt, the length of the bed 
running transversely and being determined 
by the width of the ground from path to 
boundary fence. The transverse paths need 
not be more than eighteen inches wide, and may 
be of cinder, if no better material is available. 
The object is to give easy access to the bed and 
to permit the use of the barrow without having 
to run it over loose soil, and thus to lighten 
labour. 

At the same time, this orderly subdivision 
of the ground improves its appearance, giving 
a business-like aspect to the garden and facili- 
tating systematic cropping. 

A space should be reserved, preferably 
screened off, for the deposition of rubbish, 
and for the storage of manure, flower-pots, 
stakes, and other accessories which careless 
gardeners are too prone to leave about in odd 
places. 

The box edgings one finds in old gardens — 
"as prim and square-cut as a Puritan pastor" 
— are charming to look at, but they are 
charged, and probably rightly so, with harbour- 



204 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 56. — Position for vegetable plots 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 205 

ing snails and other animals which prey upon 
our culinary plants. Still I am not sure that I 
would not put up with the havoc of these ma- 
rauders to enjoy the solid green outlines and the 
air of old-world methods these edgings suggest. 

There are other modes of associating the 
vegetable garden with the flower ground. 
When the whole plot is wide in relation to 
its length, it may be convenient to reserve 
a strip of ground along one or both sides for 
kitchen garden purposes, and in that event the 
treatment may be based upon the design here 
illustrated, the object, as before, being to retain 
a certain decorative quality without detriment 
to practical requirements. The method of doing 
this is made sufficiently clear by the diagram. 

If space and other conditions suit, there is 
no objection to cutting off the kitchen from 
the flower garden entirely by a separating 
hedge; because in the case under consideration 
there would be little gained by blending the 
two, since the additional vista so obtained, 
being in a transverse direction, is compara- 
tively short. In selecting the site for the 
kitchen garden the question of aspect must 
not be overlooked, particularly as it affects 



206 



GARDEN PLANNING 



that part of the flower garden adjacent. In 
the case just considered the hedge shadow 
must be reckoned with, and for that reason 
the north side of a garden having an east or 
w^est aspect would be the best position for 
the kitchen garden, other things being favour- 
able. With a north or south aspect the point 
would not arise. 

In gardens of irregular shape it is some- 
times possible to cut oflp a triangular or awk- 
wardly shaped piece for the vegetable plot, 
thereby giving better form to the rest. 
Examples of this mode of treatment will be 
found in the plans which follow. 

In the actual making of the ground the 
gardener must follow the directions already 
given for trenching and manuring. 

If the garden is of any considerable size 
a tool shed, which might be used also as a 
potting-shed, is a great convenience. It may 
be a very simple structure; but it is well not 
to disfigure it with corrugated iron or other 
unsightly material. A thatched roof of straw 
or reeds would convert it into an almost pic- 
turesque feature, and there is no reason why it 
should not support a graceful flowering climber. 



CHAPTER XV , 
Glass 

At the risk of creating consternation in the 
minds of those enthusiasts who adore their 
little glass houses, I must say that I cannot 
reconcile the greenhouse with the garden 
beautiful. My remark, of course, applies only 
to the small garden, in which I have never seen 
such a structure that was not an eyesore. Its 
white paint alone condemns it; but that 
we can alter. Not so its rigid, spidery lines 
and glinting glass panes. Yet I admit its 
utility, and I can realize the pleasures that 
come to the man who carefully tends its crowd 
of occupants. My quarrel is with the thing 
itself. If I were advising the owner of a small 
garden plot on the question of installing a 
greenhouse, I should say "Don't," because I 
know, that it is possible to have a garden gay 
with interesting flowers from March to Novem- 
ber without glass. 

207 



208 



GARDEN PLANNING 



On the other hand, if the gardener desired 
to speciaUze in chrysanthemums, or some 
other flower or flowers for which a greenhouse 
is a necessity, I would concede the point, re- 
garding it as a compromise; but I should not 
expect him to achieve a very notable result 
in the garden picture. 

I would therefore ask the would-be gardener 
to consider whether he really wants a green- 
house, and if he decides in the afhrmative, I 
would tender him such advice as the following: 

1. If possible — i.e., if the aspect is suitable — 
put the greenhouse against one of the house 
walls, where it will merge into the main struc- 
ture, and thus lose some of its identity. 

2. If that is unrealizable, place it where it 
will be possible to screen it from view, so that 
it does not become a conspicuous object in 
the vista as seen from the house. 

3. Select a simple and unpretentious design, 
preferably a "lean-to" or "three-quarter-span" 
pattern, and put it against a boundary fence 
or wall. These patterns are infinitely pref- 
erable to the high-pitched, ridge-roofed, doll's- 
house pavilions designed to evoke the admira- 
tion of the uninitiated. 



GLASS 209 

4. Paint the outside woodwork a pleasant 
shade of green, not grass colour nor eau-de-nil, 
but something in between. 

By observing these hints he may succeed 
in taking the sting out of his glass box. The 
gardeners who paint their greenhouses white, 
picked out with lines of "Reckitt's blue," 
hardly realize the crime they commit. They 
are blinded to the inconsistencies by the glory 
of the structure itself, and think not of it as 
an element in the picture. For the same reason 
they give it a place of honour in the centre of 
the garden's width, and contrive that all roads 
shall lead to it. 

The humble garden frame is another matter. 
It sits snugly on the ground, and does not take 
on airs. Its usefulness no one can deny, and 
its place is in the vegetable plot. 

If, in spite of all, the gardener decides to 
invest some part of his capital in "glass," 
then let him beware of the cheap, jerry-built, 
stock houses whose pictures adorn the adver- 
tisement pages of the gardening journals. 
They are not all bad, but they all have the 
same family likeness on paper, and the inex- 
perienced buyer is tempted to buy the largest 



2IO 



GARDEN PLANNING 



he can get for the sum he is prepared to spend, 
or the cheapest for a given size. 

The greenhouse at its best is but a skeleton 
structure, if we neglect the glass, and is an 
easy prey to weather influence. If framed of 
wood of small scantling, or of unsound quality, 
the decay comes sooner and proceeds more 
rapidly. Joints give and parts warp out of 
shape, ''and then the deluge'^ in a literal 
sense. Once a house becomes leaky it is almost 
hopeless to attempt to make it sound again. 
Better, therefore, to do without than to install 
a cheap affair that will do duty only for a few 
seasons. 

The best guarantee of quality is price and 
the reputation of the firm from which you 
buy. 

The term "conservatory" is generally applied 
to a glass house forming a permanent annex 
to the house. It has the advantage over an 
unwarmed detached greenhouse of borrowing 
warmth from the house in winter, and is useful 
for protecting pot plants from frost. If taste- 
fully kept and of sufficient size, it forms an ex- 
cellent approach to the garden. One not 
infrequently finds one on the north side of 



GLASS 



211 



the house, where it gets no sun, and is, therefore, 
only fitted for sheltering a few ferns. 

Builders indulge in flights of fancy in con- 
nection with the conservatory, in the form of 
chevaux-de-frise^ ornamental finials, and col- 
oured glass panes. They hope by these at- 
tractions (?) to sell or let the house. The man 
of taste, however, will prefer the structure 
to be a piece of good plain woodwork glazed 
with clear glass. I know of nothing more dis- 
tracting than to enter a conservatory into 
which the sun is casting contrasting beams of 
blue and yellow light indifferently upon flowers 
and foliage. If for purposes of privacy it is 
desirable that the glass be translucent it is 
better to use white prismatic or ground glass. 
Leaded glass in which the prevailing tint is 
a pale green is not objectionable. The con- 
servatory floor should be tiled and sloped to 
a gutter to carry to the outside the water 
spilled in spraying the plants. 



CHAPTER XVI 

Fences and Hedges 

I have already pointed out how insistently 
the boundaries of a small garden declare them- 
selves. Whichever way we turn the vista is 
closed by a wall or fence, and whatever expe- 
dients we adoptto render these artificialfrontiers 
inconspicuous — whether by growing greenery 
over them or trees and shrubs against them — 
we cannot entirely keep them out of sight. I 
have shown, however, that by adopting a 
rectilinear treatment they can be made to har- 
monize with the garden lines. But that will not 
help us much if the fence itself is an eyesore. 
The gardener who rents the house has to take 
things as he finds them, but he who builds his 
house has the matter in his own hands, and 
for his guidance, therefore, I may offer some 
suggestions on the subject of fencing. I 
must make a passing reference to walls. All 
walls are much alike, but it is worth while to 

212 



FENCES AND HEDGES 



213 



make the wall high enough to permit of growing 
fruit upon it when it receives full sun. A 
height of six feet in most cases would be suffi- 
cient for the purpose. 

As regards the fence there are two consider- 
ations — appearance and durability. The 
former implies both design and surface, the 
latter, material. 

Of the woods available, oak is unquestion- 
ably the best for a fence, not only on account 
of its long life under all conditions of weather, 
but on the score of appearance. It should 
not be painted or its charm of colour will be 
destroyed. Who has not seen and admired 
the pearly grays and opalescent tints of an 
ancient park fence, and noted how admirably 
it harmonized with the natural growth at its 
foot? I know of nothing which better ac- 
cords with flower and foliage than the weath- 
ered surface of an old oak fence. If the pales 
are cleft, so as to show the natural figure of 
the wood, the effect will be better and the life 
of the fence longer. Under ordinary circum- 
stances a height of five feet is sufficient, but 
with open country around and no likelihood 
of intruders less height may be desirable. 



FENCES AXD HEDGES 21 5 

particularly if there is an attractive landscape 
beyond. The character of the immediate 
environment should determine both the height 
of the fence and its design, which may be open 
or closed, or a combination of both. 

The construction should be simple, because 
elaborate fencework is likely to usurp attention 
and to detract from the glory of the flower 
ground. 

The practice of allowing the posts to stand 
above the top line of the fence, breaking the 
skyline, is a good one. 

The designs illustrated should be sufficient 
guide as to the type of fence best suited to a 
small garden. The closed pattern has sawn 
oak posts and arris rails and cleft pales. If 
shaped at the top between the posts, as shown, 
its appearance is improved. 

The ^Svindowed" pattern is an adaptation 
of the park fence, by the addition of raised 
heads to the posts and a more substantial 
top rail. The latter should be "weathered" 
to throw off the rain. 

The half-open fence with lattice top is just 
the thing on which to train creepers. 

Paled fences should always have a pHnth 



2l6 



GARDEN PLANNING 



board to protect the lower end of the pales 
from moisture, and to act as a barrier against 
burrowing animals. 

Oak fences should be put together with cop- 
per or galvanized nails; ordinary iron nails 
cause unsightly" inky stains. 

If the gardener cannot afford the cost of oak, 
he must use larch or other boarding for his 
pales, but certainly he should have oak posts 
and plinth boards, though he may omit the 
latter if he stops the pales just clear of the 
ground. The pales will need painting either 
with a tar solution (a preparation of Stockholm 
tar, not coal tar) or with good oil paint. 

If oil paint is used, the colour is important. 
It is difficult to select a tint which harmonizes 
well with flowers and foliage. Perhaps the 
best is a subdued green of a sagey tint. One 
disadvantage of painted fences is that the paint 
has to be renewed from time to time, and that 
involves the temporary removal of creepers 
and other plants which may have been trained 
over them. 

Wire fences are not desirable for a permanent 
purpose, but are permissible when it is wished 
to mark the garden boundaries whilst a hedge 



FENCES AND HEDGES 217 

is coming to maturity. At the points where 
the wires start and end the posts should be 
stout and well strutted, to enable sufficient 
tension to be put on the wire to make it taut. 
The intermediate posts may be lighter, but 
should be firmly planted to ensure their re- 
maining upright. 

Barbed wire is an invention of the enemy 
and should never be admitted into the garden. 




Fig. 58. — Stretching wire fencing 



The ordinary galvanized iron telegraph wire 
(No. 8 gauge) is the most suitable. It may be 
attached to the stretching post by "screw- 
eyes," which should be galvanized, or by the 



2l8 



GARDEN PLANNING 



simple expedient of passing it through holes 
made with a carpenter's gimlet and twisting 
a knot in the protruding end. This should 
be done in the manner illustrated. The 
stretching is best managed with a block and 




Fig. 59. — Open wooden fencing 



tackle, but if the gardener cannot command 
the use of this appliance, he may make shift 
with an extemporized lever in the manner 
shown. 

When the wire is taut, the end should be 



FENCES AND HEDGES 2I9 

knocked up with a hammer close to the holef 
and turned two or three times round a stout 
nail. 

Kinks and bends in the wire may be rubbed 
out of it with the hammer handle whilst it 
is under tension, before the final tightening. 

Two good types of open fence are shown 
in the next illustration, and they call for no 
special description. In the all-rail pattern 
the post heads are made separately and nailed 
on, their purpose being to protect the end 
grain of the post from the weather. 

Temporary fences may be made of rough 
unbarked larch or other timber that may be 
readily and cheaply procurable. The lattice 
or "rustic" fence is short-lived, and in long 
lengths its diagonal pattern is monotonous. 
Its appearance is much improved by adding 
a top rail of halved timber flat side down. 

A better type is that next illustrated, the 
posts being of unbarked larch, and the side 
and top rails of the same halved. Ordinary 
iron cut nails may be used with advantage, 
as their "rusting-in" makes them hold all the 
better. 

In setting out a fence care should be taken 



220 



GARDEN PLANNING 



to keep a straight line from point to point, 
by using a stretched cord as a guide for fixing 
the posts. The tops of the posts should be 




Fig. 60. — Larch fencing 

adjusted in line by sighting, two T pieces being 
fixed as levels to work from, one at each end 
of the stretch. The spacing of the posts will 
depend upon the design and character of the 
fence and the length of timber purchased for 
the rails, but ten feet is the maximum advisable, 
and less is better. 

Of iron fencing there are patterns for all 
purposes, and I need not speak of them. 

Trellis — ^, Trellis naturally falls into this sec- 
tion, and some words of guidance in its proper 
use may be useful. Ready-made trellis is so 
cheap that it does not pay to make it at home 
when the ordinary diamond pattern is wanted. 



FENCES AND HEDGES 



221 



In erecting a screen of trellis a well-framed 
support should be provided, as there is very 
little strength or stiffness in the trellis itself. 
The rule should be to support all the edges 
by allowing them to butt against the centre 
of the frame, securing them by fillets nailed 
thereto. 

The practice of leaving a raw edge at the 
top is slovenly, and leads to the premature 
decay of the trellis. All trellises should be 
painted with two or three coats of good oil 
colour, well worked into the angles at the 




Fig. 6i. — Construction of trellis screen 



crossings, for it is there that the rain finds 
its way in and starts the process of decay. 



222 GARDEN PLANNING 

The diagonal pattern has come to be so com- 
mon that most gardeners accept it without 
question, but vrhere much treUis is used it 
looks better arranged with the laths vertical 
and horizontal. 

If the gardener is handy with his tools, and 
blessed with sufhcient leisure, he may try his 
hand on ''woven trellis,'" using cleft oak laths 
and working on the plan illustrated in Fig. 57. 
He must design his squares of suthcient size 
to admit of bending the laths without diihculty, 
and he should pin them at their crossings with 
oak pegs. A trellis of this kind will not re- 
quire to be painted, and it has a character of 
its own which raises it far above the machine- 
made article. 

I need hardly add that the interlacing may 
be omitted and the laths joined up in the 
ordinary way, using either oak pegs or galvan- 
ized nails. 

Hedges — We may consider hedges as liv- 
ing fences. They not only ser^-e to mark the 
garden boundary and the subdivisions of the 
garden, but they materially assist us in the 
garden picture. I know of no better back- 
ground for a wide herbaceous border than a 



FENCES AND HEDGES 



223 



well-grown hedge, provided no wall is available. 
Hedges, however, occupy more width than 
fences, and we must allow for this in our plan- 
ning. Also there must be allowance for lateral 
growth beyond the width to which we intend 
to train the hedge, because we cannot trim 
at frequent intervals. Also something addi- 
tional should be allowed to keep the flowers 
outside the radius of the roots of the hedge 
plants. 

As wind-screens hedges are superior to fences 
because they allow air to filter through, and 
thus reduce the velocity of that which passes 
over them. 

Of hedge plants commonly in use nothing 
beats privet. When properly cared for it is 
very effective as a screen, and it grows rapidly. 
Moreover, it thrives in almost every kind of 
soil, and is happy alike in shade or sunshine, 
and does not suffer from cold or rough 
winds. 

Thorn is of less rapid growth but makes 
a thoroughly business-like hedge, and, ow- 
ing to its spines, cattle rarely attempt to 
break through it. If well trained from the 
first so as to make the bottom full and close. 



224 GARDEN PLANNING 

it will exclude even the "harmless (?), neces- 
sary cat." 

Of evergreens, hemlock, box and arbor-vitae 
are all admirable, but slow in growth. The 
hardy orange (Citrus trifoliata) makes a dense, 
impenetrable hedge and is evergreen in the 
South but sheds its leaves in the North. 

There is no reason why we should not make 
hedges of many of the beautiful flov/ering 
shrubs, save only the question of cost. Lilac, 
ribes, deutzia, snowberry, philadelphus, med- 
lar, diervilla, flowering quince, rose, sweet- 
brier, blackthorn, viburnum, elder, berberis, 
althea, and spirea are all suitable and attrac- 
tive subjects, and in the light, warm soils in 
the South fuchsia and hydrangea may be 
added to the list. I see no objection to a mixed 
hedge, in which several of the above subjects 
are associated together. There are pictur- 
esque possibilities in such a hedge that are 
worth exploiting. 

Sweetbrier makes a charming hedge and 
stands exposure well,3but it is unsuited to town 
gardens, where its viscous foliage would collect 
and retain the sooty constituents of the atmos- 
phere. In planting a hedge the ground should 



FENCES AND HEDGES 



225 



be trenched and manured and the plants 
carefully lined up. The spacing will vary with 
the subject, and the nurseryman will always 
advise on this point. The training of a hedge 
involves periodical trim- A j^TO 



The best method is to trim to a wedge shape, 
tapering from bottom to top on both sides 
equally, and to leave the top quite sharp. 

The width at bottom, for a hedge which is 
eventually to be restricted to five feet in height, 
need not exceed two feet. The tops of the 
plants should not be touched until they reach 
the prescribed height. 

Fig. 62 A shows the section to be worked to 
in the first instance. When the bottom is well 
filled in with growth, and the plants have 
obtained the maximum height, or have sprung 
above it, the top may be cut to a uniform height, 
and dressed flat as in Fig. 62 B, or rounded 



ming. In the first instance 
this should be directed to 
encouraging the lower 
growth, without which the 
hedge can never be an 
efficient barrier, and might 
develop into an eyesore. 




A B 
Fig. 62. — Sections of hedge 



226 GARDEN PLANNING 

if preferred. Subsequently the sides may be 
trimmed vertically. 

In long lines of hedging it is desirable to 
break the top line by allowing the hedge 
plants at intervals to grow above the general 




Fig. 63. — Hedge tops 



level, trimming them into some definite form, 
as shown in the illustration below. 

Gaps in the hedge, to accommodate through- 
paths, may be bridged over by training the 
adjacent plants into an arch, for which a tem- 
porary support would be required. 

The gardener should never forget that his 
hedge makes considerable demands on the 
soil, and he must therefore not expect that 
flowers will thrive in close proximity to it, 
wherefore he should allow sufficient width 
in all borders which skirt a line of hedging. 

Box Edgings — These are miniature hedges. 
The objection that they encourage and harbour 



FENCES AND HEDGES 227 

insect pests may be dismissed by the practical 
man, who will avail himself of the fact to 
search out the intruders and destroy them. 
The best dwarf form is Buxus sempervirens 
var. suffruticosa. It should be planted in April 
or May. A narrow, clean-cut trench of tri- 
angular section should be got out, and the box 
plants inserted in a close line, the soil being 
drawn up against them with a board held in 
the right hand, whilst the left forearm holds 
the plants in line. 

Box edging should not be allowed to grow 
to a greater height than six inches, and the 
clipping should be done with 
care so as to preserve the 
height uniform, and to main- 
tain a clean hne, whether it Fig. 64. - Planting box 
is straight or curved. The ^'^^^^^ 
best time for clipping is at the end of 
May or during the first week in June. 

The best shape in cross-section is square- 
topped with battered or vertical sides, though 
if it pleases the eye of the gardener the top 
angles may be rounded. 

Ivy Edgings — These have a bold, handsome 
appearance, but are not suitable for gardens 



I 




228 



GARDEN PLANNING 



of restricted size, and in town gardens they are 
apt to become coated with soot, nor are they 
reliable in the North as they winter-kill. Where 
space admits, however, and the temperature 
is safe, excellent effects may be obtained with 
ivy. It is only necessary to insert the plants 
and to peg them down to the soil, which in 
time they will cover with abundant growth. 
An annual clipping in April or May will soon 
produce a neat effect. 

Other Edgings — Many other plants are in use 
for edgings, such as the ground myrtle, euony- 
mus, heaths, and thrift, but as they present 
no special difficulty in management, and have 
no special features to commend them, I need 
only refer to them by name, as a reminder to 
the gardener who is casting about for some- 
thing different. 

The Verge — This makes an admirable edg- 
ing where space permits, and where it is not 
subject to unfavourable conditions, such as the 
drip of trees. To ensure the best effect it 
should be trimmed with mathematical accuracy. 
As the mowing and trimming involve consider- 
able labour it will not commend itself to the 
gardener of limited leisure. 



CHAPTER XVII 



Tile and Other Artificial Edgings 

These nave a wider application than the 
living plant edgings just noticed, and they are 
a necessity in a well-kept garden. When turf 
and soil or turf and gravel come into juxta- 
position the clean-cut edge of the turf consti- 
tutes a good enough edging. The case is 
different where soil and gravel meet. The 
qualities which should distinguish a good 
edging are durability (both as regards resis- 
tance to weather influence and accidental 
fracture); flexibility, to permit it to be laid 
in a good curve if necessary; stability, to enable 
it to keep in place; and, lastly, moderate cost. 

Tile Edgings — These may be just plain 
roofing tiles, or special edging tiles with a 
"fancy" margin, of which many patterns, 
good, bad, and indifferent, are offered for sale. 
Of the former I have little to say beyond point- 
ing out that they are usually too thin to resist 
229 



230 GARDEN PLANNING 

the wear and tear of every-day usage, a^id the 
porous kinds are subject to fracture by frost. 

Special edging tiles are made of the following 
materials: 

Porous brickware (red). 
Hard brickware (red). 
Stoneware (brown). 
Blue brickware (slaty blue). 

The first is undesirable on account of its 
brittleness and liability to fracture by frost, 
and the last on account of its unpleasant colour, 
though it has the advantage of toughness and 
strength. Between the other two materials 
there is little to choose. Both are durable and 
unobjectionable in colour, and the gardener 
may decide as he thinks best. If price is a 
consideration, he would find the hard brick- 
ware the least expensive, though prices may 
vary according to district. 

When it comes to selecting the 
pattern he cannot be too circum- 
spect, and he had best confine 
Fig. 65.— Edg- himself to simple designs. In my 
ing tile opinion the tile edging is not a 
feature it is desirable to emphasize with 



ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 



231 



decoration. The plain scallop edge is the least 
offensive. (See Fig. 65.) 

Even that is apt to suffer in use, and will show 
unpleasant gaps where some of the projections 
have been broken off by a chance blow of the 
spade. 

Perhaps the strongest pattern is the so-called 
"cable" design, but to that there is the ob- 
jection that it is a barefaced imitation of 
something which it never quite succeeds in 
simulating, and which in the reality would be 
a most inappropriate thing as a permanent 
feature in the garden. Moreover, these tiles 
are unsightly when laid in curves. 

Generally speaking, the edging tile is some- 
thing one had better do without, and as a 
substitute for it which has the advantage of 
greater substance, durability, and stability, 
combined with lower cost, I commend: 

Brick Edgings — The common builder's red 
brick, as I have already mentioned, makes 
an excellent edging, and is capable of being 
used in various ways. Laid flat, its top sur- 
face level with the gravel, it becomes the margin 
of the path and at the same time an efficient 
barrier to the soil of the border. Used in this 



232 GARDEN PLANNING 

way it may be associated with a box edging, as 
indicated in the illustration (A). Otherwise it 
may be set on edge to stand about half its 
width above the gravel and soil as in B. There 
is little to choose between these two modes of 
using it. Another and less familiar method is 
to employ it in the form of a concealed edging 
in the way shown at C. This makes a very neat 




Fig, 66. — Brick edgings 



and unobtrusive edging, not easily damaged. 
When it is carried round curves it should 
be laid endwise to the line, using half-bricks. 
This form of edging is also useful as a division 
between turf and gravel, as it precludes the 
need for much labour in trimming the turf 
edge, and at the same time absolutely pre- 
serves the original line. 

In purchasing bricks for edgings the gardener 
should see that he gets hard, well-burnt ones, 
either wire-cut or pressed. Moulded bricks 



ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 233 

have a hollow on one side, which makes them 
unsuitable. 

There is, however, a kind of brick which is 
preferable to the ordinary rectangular brick, 
if cost is not an important consideration. It 
is the "plinth" brick. 
It has one of its edges 
bevelled, as shown in the 
illustration, and makes 
quite an ideal edging. 

Its price averages about Fig. 67.-The plinth brick as an 

fifteen dollars a thou- ^^^^"^ 
sand, which brings it materially higher in cost 
than the common brick, but still cheaper than 
the edging tile. 

Stone Edgings — In districts where stone is 
plentiful and cheap, it may be used as an 
edging, and it has the advantage of being 
obtainable in long lengths. It may also be 
worked in any section desired, or we may use 
it roughly dressed. The illustration on page 
234 indicates some simple and suitable sections. 

Sometimes the gardener is in a position to 
buy cheaply old stone paving, which may be 
adapted as an edging with good effect. 

Slate has been suggested for edgings, and in 




234 GARDEN PLANNING 

districts where it is cheap, if used in pieces at 
least one inch thick, it is durable and efficient; 
but its colour is unpleasing, and I cannot com- 
mend it for the fiower garden on that account. 
For the vegetable ground it is quite admirable. 




Fig. 68. — Stone edgings (sections) 



The least expensive kind of edging is the 
common flint, and on the score of appearance 
and stability it leaves little to be desired. It 
should be bedded deeply, and the flints should 
be large ones. The practice common in some 
districts of whitening flint edgings gives them 
too much prominence, and on that account I 
do not favour it. 

When a bed or border is to be raised above 
the general level the edging may be built up 
of flints or brickbats. 

There is no special virtue in the flint, apart 
from its abundance and ubiquity. In districts 
Avhere other natural stone is common it may be 
used in rough pieces in the same way as flints, 
with equally good effect. 



ARTIFICIAL EDGINGS 235 

Wood Edgings — The last form of artificial 
edging that I shall notice is the board edging. 
It has its usefulness as a temporary expedient 
when we wish to make our gravel paths before 
we lay the permanent edging, and it is some- 
times used in kitchen gardens. Its appearance 
is never good, and the presence of wood in the 
soil is at all times to be condemned, because 
it encourages the growth of fungous life. 

Unprepared wood is hardly good for more 
than two seasons. If required to last longer 
it must be dressed with a tar solution or creo- 
soted. 

The best way to secure wood edgings is to 
nail them to stout square pegs driven firmly 
into the soil. 

In putting down edgings of every kind they 
should never be allowed to stand to a greater 
height out of ground than is necessary to form 
a barrier against rolling earth clods. 



CHAPTER XVIII 



Garden Accessories 

Many a good garden picture is ruined by the 
introduction of some incongruous structure, 
which offends by reason of its design, deco- 
ration, or colour. Yet there is ample scope for 
useful accessories, and of these perhaps there 
is no better example than: 

The Summer House — Modern gardeners 
have sadly neglected this structure, so dear 
to the hearts of a past generation, and it is 
customary to sneer at it as a place given over 
to insect life and mildew. If that is the state 
of any summer house, it is the fault of the 
gardener. There is no reason why it should 
be infested with insect life to the prejudice of 
its users, and it is quite easy to construct it so 
that it may be a dry and comfortable retreat 
in all weathers. 

The summer house is not only a useful ad- 
junct as a shelter from wind and the scorching 

236 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 237 

rays of a summer's sun, but, as already stated, 
it is a pleasing feature in the garden picture, 
redeeming the general flatness of the site and 
offering an inducement to the gardener to keep 
company with his flowers. Lastly, it is fre- 
quently useful in hiding some unsightly object 
on neighbouring premises. 

I have already pointed out its utility as a 
natural terminus to the path. It should not 
be put out of sight as if it were something to 
be ashamed of. On the contrary, it should 
take its place as an obvious element in the 
garden picture. 

In placing the summer house we have two 
things to consider — its relation to the garden 
scheme as a factor in the general picturesque 
effect, and its relation to the flowers as regards 
its outlook. It is worth some trouble to 
contrive that both considerations shall be met 
in a way to secure the best results. A summer 
house should not stand detached and lone like 
a sentry-box. If it is not convenient to place 
it against a boundary, it should be associated 
with a tree or group of trees or shrubs, but 
not with other buildings. 

To ensure shade, its entrance should face 



238 GARDEN PLANNING 

north or nearly so, though circumstances may 
not always make this position possible, in 
which case the difficulty must be met by the 
use of a porch, veranda, or sun-blind fixed 
over its entrance. It should stand amongst 
the flowers, where the gardener may enjoy 
their fragrance and colour, and hear the drone 
of bees. In fact, it is worth some little trouble 
to arrange that the vista from the summer 
house shall be one of the most picturesque 
peeps the garden can afford. To ensure that 
the summer house completely serves its pur- 
pose, it must not be made a store place for 
flower pots, garden stakes, and tools. 

The stone and brick structures one finds 
in old gardens generally possess dignity and 
beauty. They are cool in summer and ahvays 
weather-proof, but they are only suited to 
large domains where they are in correct scale 
and accord with the architecture of the house. 

For the garden of moderate size, the wooden 
summer house is preferable, and it may be 
made for a tithe of the cost of the other. Its 
design should be unpretentious and innocent of 
trumpery embellishments. The '"rustic" treat- 
ment favoured by commercial makers of gar- 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 239 

den houses is .not only expensive, but it is 
meaningless, inartistic, structurally unsound, 
and not durable. The practice of plastering 
these garden structures with slabs of "virgin 
cork" is indefensible, and should never be in- 




Fig. 69. — Summer house 



dulged in by the man who aims at an artistic 
result. 

The most suitable material for a summer 
house is oak; for the sides cleft oak slats, and 
for the roof sawn oak weather-boarding, 
straight of grain and sound. The framing may! 



240 GARDEN PLANNING 

be of rough deal quartering, as it will not come 
under weather influence. Nails and screws 
must be galvanized for reasons already given. 
If erected on one's own property the summer 




Fig. 70. — ■ Summer house 



house should be made a fixture to the soil, 
either by erecting it on a brick foundation or 
by sinking its upright timbers into the ground. 
In the latter case, the uprights should be made 
of oak for the sake of durability. A perma- 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 24I 

nent structure of this kind is generally more 
satisfactory, and if economy is not a pressing 
consideration, it is well to make the floor of 
concrete rendered to a good surface with 
cement, or overlaid with red tiles. 

In the other event, the floor should be of 
stout floor-boarding, raised at least six inches 
above ground-level, and well ventilated 
beneath. 

The roofing, on the soundness of which the 
exclusion of wet largely depends, must be done 
in a workman-like manner. Ample eaves should 
be allowed, and the boards should have suffi- 
cient overlap, and be securely nailed to the 
rafters. 

Tarred felt and corrugated iron are quite 
unsuitable, the former on account of its short 
life and dingy colour, the latter by reason of 
its objectionable appearance. 

Thatch of oat straw is admirable, and red 
tiles also make a picturesque and efficient 
roof covering. 

The door and windows of the wooden summer 
house may be mere openings, which serve 
every purpose and look best, though when they 
face a quarter from which rain is likely to drift 



242 



GARDEN PLANNING 



in, and, particularly when the floor is of wood, 
it is desirable to adopt means for excluding the 
wet. This may be done by the provision of 
an overhang to the roof, by shutters, or by 
window casements and a sliding door. 

The question of whether to provide perma- 
nent tables and seats may well be decided by 




Fig. 71. — Summer house 

the gardener. The objection is that whep damp 
finds access to the house they are rendered 
unfit for use. On the whole it is preferable to 
use movable furniture. If, however, the gar- 
dener decides on fixed seats and tables, he 
should make the former of open pattern and 
paint them, so that they may be easily wiped 
dry and cleaned. A fixed table is generally a 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 243 

nuisance, and more often than not is in the 
way. On the other hand, shelving, which may 
take the form of wide inside window-sills, 
is useful. 

In the matter of design the plain rectangular 
pattern with double-pitched roof, shown in 
the first example, Fig. 69, has much to 
commend it, and is simple to construct. 
Other patterns may be made to suit special 
circumstances. I shall now describe a few 
examples of summxcr houses suitable for small 
gardens, giving rough outline specifications 
to enable the gardener to understand their 
details. 

I . Rectangular summer house measuring eight 
feet by five feet, and six feet to eaves. Portable. 
Erected on loose bricks laid on gravel. Frame 
of three-inch deal quartering, mortised and 
pinned. Floor of one-inch floor-boarding laid 
on sills attached to uprights, with joints trans- 
versely of the length of the house. Sides of 
cleft oak fence pales secured with galvanized 
nails. Door and window-sills of oak. Win- 
dow bars of one-inch square oak rod. Roof 
of sawn oak weather-boarding. Finials of 
oak. This and other houses may be lined with 



244 GARDEN PLANNING 

match-boarding painted white, or stained and 
varnished. (See Fig. 69.) 

2. Small square summer house measuring 
six feet by nine feet, and six feet to eaves. 
Portable. Framing, floors, sides, and roof as 
in last. Weathercock of sheet zinc gilded. 




Fig. 72. — Summer house 



The same type of house might be made of 
triangular shape, to fit an angle in the garden 
fence. The sides should then measure not 
less than seven feet to give sufficient room 
inside. (See Fig. 70.) 

3. Rectangular summer house as lean-to, 
measuring ten feet by five feet, and six feet to 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 



245 



eaves. Back to be part of structure. All 
details as in previous examples. (See Fig. 71.) 

4. Rectangular summer house measuring 
ten feet by six feet, and six feet to eaves. At- 
tached to ground by sinking uprights. Up- 
rights of four-inch square oak. Rest of fram- 




Fig' 73 • — Summer house 

ing of three-inch deal quartering. Floor of 
one-inch boarding. Porch brackets of oak. 
Window grids of interlaced oak laths, pegged 
at the crossings. Window and door sills of 
oak. Sides of cleft oak fence pales. Roof 
of match-boarding thatched. (See Fig. 72.) 
5. Rectangular summer house measuring ten 



246 GARDEN PLANNING 

feet by seven feet, and six feet to eaves. Base 
of nine-inch brickwork on concrete foundation. 
Floor of concrete rendered in cement. Door 
sill of stone. Superstructure of four-inch deal 
quartering, strongly framed, and uprights let 
into oak sill, covered with sawn oak weather^ 
boarding. Window grid of one-inch oak dia- 
mond square rods. Arched stretcher of oak. 
Roof of red porous tiles. (See Fig. 73.) 

6. Open summer house, octagon in plan. 
Uprights of oak stems about nine-inch diameter. 
Back and part sides filled in with oak weather- 
boarding on deal framing. Plinth boards of 
oak. Floor gravel. Roof framed of deal, 
match-boarded and thatched. (See Fig. 74.) 

7. Mushroom open shelter. Centre column 
a barked oak bole with stumps of branches 
left as struts. Roof framed of deal, match- 
boarded inside, and on outside covered with 
oak shingles. Seats supported by legs of 
barked oak. Unbarked larch may be used 
instead of oak, to reduce cost. The roof 
struts would have to be separate, as the larch 
tree does not branch suitably. (See Fig. 75.) 

8. Circular summer house. Uprights of un- 
barked red cedar. Walls of same, halved, with 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 



Fig. 74. — Summer house 




Fig- 75 • — Summer house 



248 GARDEN PLANNING 

bark outside. Roof thatched, over boarded 
deal rafters. (See Fig. 76.) 

The above examples are typical of good 




Fig. 76. — Summer house 



practice and restraint in design, and will prove 
sufficiently suggestive to the gardener. 

Arbours — This term may be understood to 
describe such structures as are designed to 
give shade by means of the foliage they support. 
They are in no sense weather-proof, being merely 
skeleton structures of light woodwork. They 
may be built of larch nailed together, or of 
light, sawn oak quartering joined by galvanized 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 249 

screws. Ready-made iron wirework arbours 
are rarely in good taste, and are bad supports 




Fig. 78. — Arbour 

on which to train living plants. The simpler 
the design the better, but, seeing that all 



250 GARDEN PLANNING 

parts are exposed to the weather, the mate- 
rials and construction should be such as will 
ensure a fair amount of durability. Trellis, 
though often used as an element in the struc- 
ture, is unsuitable, because it requires to be 
painted to make it durable, and paint is incon- 
sistent with a good effect in an arbour, which 
of all garden structures is the one in which we 
may nearest approach the so-called "rustic" 
treatment. 

The Pergola — This charming accessory comes 
to us from Italy. It is the best device for 
growing a collection of flowering climbers, and 
displaying their beauty, as well as for making 
use of their shade. We may regard the per- 
gola as an extended arbour. Its proper place 
is spanning a straight walk. 

In its simplest form it is a skeleton structure 
of timber. The uprights may be placed from 
four to six feet apart, and should be in pairs. 
Oak is the best material, but red cedar or locust 
may take its place if the cost of oak is prohib- 
itive. The cross-pieces should be secured with 
stout spikes, and the series of arches thus 
made should then be tied together with longi- 
tudinal timbers, over which other and lighter 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 



cross-pieces may be fixed, if desired, to give 
additional support to the foliage. No further 
elaboration is necessary or desirable. In 
Italian gardens the pergola is often of the 
flimsiest construction, being made of light 
woodwork joined by cordage, but I do not 
recommend that plan for an American garden. 



Fig. 79. — Pergola 

Instead of timber in the state of nature, the 
pergola may be built of squared oak parts, 
left rough from the saw, adopting the design 
illustrated in Fig. 80, or something of similar 
character, always remembering to maintain a 
studied simplicity, combined with the neces- 
sary structural strength to withstand wind and 
weather, and the weight of the foliage which 
will eventually cluster about the structure. 



252 



GARDEN PLANNING 



The width between the uprights in a trans- 
verse direction must be sufficient to preserve 
a clear way of at least the width of the path, 
and little is gained by making it wider. The 




Fig. 80. — Pergola 

overhang of the cross timbers is useful when 
it comes to training the plants, as the latter 
tend to grow full at the top. At the same time 
it pleases the eye. 

When it is desired to give architectural 
significance to the pergola it is usual to make 
the pillars of stone or brickwork, and to tie 
them across with timber transoms, or to erect 
a framework or roofing of worked timber over 
the space. Such structures have no place 
in a small garden, as they would be out of 
scale comp red with it. 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 2^3 

The aim of the gardener should be to get his 
pergola covered with attractive foliage and 
flowers, using roses freely, and other suitable 
climbers in abundant variety. At the same 
time he should give ample room for each plant 
to develop its full beauty. 

The pergola walk should be flanked by 
borders, well filled with tall flowering plants, 
which will fill the spaces to right and left, and 
add to the charm of the vista by their colour 
and fragrance. Lilium candidum is a good 
subject for this purpose, as may be seen by 




Fig. 8i. — Pergola 



consulting the beautiful illustration of a 
Venetian pergola in Mr. Robinson's book, 
"The English Flower Garden." 

Some ready-made pergolas have been put 



254 GARDEN PLANNING 

upon the market by manufacturers of garden 
accessories. 

No pergola should be painted. Hence the need 
for avoiding a mode of construction which would 
lead to rapid decay under weather influence. 

Arches — The arch is another device which 
enables us to realize height in the garden pic- 
ture. At the same time it has a sphere of 
usefulness comparable to that of the pergola, 
but on a smaller scale. Its proper place is 
astride a path, and its avowed purpose is to 
support climbing flower growth. Isolated 
arches planted on turf or on a flower bed are 
illustrations of the right thing in the wrong 
place. Their principal function may be as 
well performed by a stout stake. The arch 
is best positioned when it marks the passage 
from one department of the garden to another. 
It may also serve a useful purpose as a partial 
screen, to withold the eye from what is beyond. 
It always looks best when it stands with both 
feet in a border. The galvanized iron wire 
arch should not be allowed to appear in a gar- 
den having pretensions to the picturesque. It 
is too flimsy for stability, and too artificial to 
make a fitting associate for the flowers. 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 



A better type of thing is that now illustrated. 
It is a simple framing of light, rough sawn oak 
rods, within the capacity of any amateur to 
construct. The upright may be one and one 
half inches 
square in sec- 
tion, the cross- 
pieces one and 
one half inches 
by one inch, and 
the laths one 
inch by one half 
an inch. There 
is plenty of scope 
for tasteful de- 
sign in varying 
the details of 
such an arch, 
without intro- 




Fig. 82.— Arch 



ducing further elaboration. Simple arches 
may also be made of unbarked larch on the 
lines indicated in the next illustration. 

As in the pergola, so in the arch; a straight 
level top looks best, and best suits the purpose 
for which the arch exists. Arches with high- 
pitched roofs without cross-ties invariably 



256 GARDEN PLANNING 

spread outward, as their design would promise 
to any one conversant with the elementary 
principles of constructive work. "Rustic" 
arches, compounded of curved branches, and 




Fig. 83.— Arch 



smeared with glossy varnish, are structurally 
weak and please only those whose eyes are not 
attuned to beauty of line and appropriateness 
of form. I raise no objection to a round- 
topped arch, since it actually reproduces its 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 257 

prototype, but when made in wood, the only 
permissible plan is to form its curved part 
of bent wood, and to see that its curve is a 
semicircle, or at least part of a true circle 
or ellipse. 

The Gothic shape is of all the most ob- 
jectionable. 

For temporary purposes, as, for instance, 
when it is desired to train a hedge plant into 
an arch, there is nothing better than an iron 
shape made from a stout rod bent to the 
proper curve. Ordinary trellis on arches implies 
the necessity for painting, which I do not favour 
in any garden structure if it can be avoided. 

Oak treUis of the type I have already de- 
scribed, however, is not open to the same ob- 
jection. 

Trellis — I have already dealt with trellis 
in Chapter XVI, but I may be permitted to 
recur briefly to the subject here, more par- 
ticularly in connection with its special aspect as 
a factor in the garden picture. The diagonal 
structure we associate with the word "trellis" 
is found all over the world wherever the garden 
is an established institution. Its function is 
to provide a light grill, which conceals and yet 



258 



GARDEN PLANNING 



discloses something of what is beyond. In 
modern garden design it may not always be 
introduced for that particular purpose, as I 
have shown when treating of reticence in the 
garden. More often than not it is used as 



a convenient support for climbing plants, with 











II 


II II 1) II II II II II II 


II 


II II II 




II II II II II II II II II 


II 


II II II 




II II II II II II II II II 


II 


II II II 




II II II II II II II II II 


II 


II II II 




II 1 II II II 


11 


II II II 




II II II II II II II 11 II 


II 


II II II 




II II 1! II II II II II II 




II II II 




Jl II il !i 11 11 II II II 


II 


II II II 




r ii II II II II II II II II 




II II II 


II 


II II II II II II II II II 




II II II 











Fig. 84 —Trellis panelling 



no care as to whether it becomes opaque 
with foliage. 

The gardener will do well to bear in mind 
the effects obtainable with a trellis as a more or 
less transparent screen. With this purpose in 
view he may use a trellis of a more open mesh 
than the stock pattern, and he may make it 
himself by nailing laths to a strong wooden 
framework at intervals of twelve to fifteen 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 259 

inches apart, preferably in horizontal and 
vertical lines. 

When used in long lengths, trellis of this kind 
is less monotonous in effect than the usual 
diagonal pattern, particularly if it is subdivided 
into panels with some simple ornamental 
treatment of the division posts as shown in the 
illustration, (Fig. 84). 

Seats — Taste in garden seats has suffered 
badly at the hands of the ironmonger, whose 
stock patterns one meets with everywhere. 
They have the merit of being inexpensive, and 
the glamour of their emerald-tinted ironwork 
and varnished wood impels the thoughtless 
gardener to purchase. But they have their 
drawbacks, if innocent as regards appearance. 
The rain finds its way in between wood and 
iron, and starts the process of rusting; sun and 
weather destroy the varnish; and then the wet 
attacks the wooden slats. Lastly, the iron 
heels have a way of working down into turf 
or gravel. 

A better type of seat is one built entirely of 
wood, painted white or pale green. 

The illustrations show some typical forms of 
wooden seat suitable for any size of garden. 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 



They are designed for comfortable sitting, 
with a low seat and high back, and ample 
stability. The battens attached to the legs 
distribute the weight sufficiently to prevent 
damage to grass or gravel. 

From what I have already written on the 
subject, the reader will not be surprised if 




I condemn the "rustic" seat in its conventional 
form, in which a "craz.y" design of twisted 
and bent branches strives to accommodate 
itself to a preconceived outline, but never 
succeeds. The result is a compromise which 
extracts penance from one's shoulder-blades, 
or prods the sitter in the region of his spine. 
Yet seats of simple rustic character could be 



262 GARDEN PLANNING 

made at less than half the cost if manufacturers 
would only tackle the question. 

If the gardener has a fancy for the uncon- 
ventional, let him follow the suggestions in the 
accompanying illustration (Fig. 86). 

But I must say that this type of seat is more 
suited for a woodland walk, or the wilder parts 
of the garden, than for a 
position within view of 
the house. 

I have seen an inge- 
nious adaptation of an 
ordinary oak barrel as 
a garden seat which is 
worth illustrating. (See 
Fig. 87.) 

It is simple to make, 
Fig. 87 — Garden seat and should be comfort- 
able as a seat for one person, whilst its ap- 
pearance is quite in keeping with the garden. 
Stone seats have the drawback that they re- 
tain moisture after rain, and therefore are not 
always in a condition for use. They may some- 
times be introduced as part of an architectural 
scheme in a terrace wall, but in a small garden 
they are generally useless and out of place. 




GARDEN ACCESSORIES 263 

It is an excellent plan to provide brick plat- 
forms for wooden seats. (See Fig. 88.) 

These should be raised above the ground 
surface some three or four inches. They ensure 




Fig. 88. — Brick platform for seat 

that the woodwork of the seat shall not be 
subject to conditions leading to rapid decay. 
On brick or composite paths (see Chapter VII) 
the platform may be an expansion of the path. 




Fig. 89. — Folding seat 



A seat may often be placed with advantage 
at the terminal of a path, and when in such 
position pains may be taken to give it char- 



264 GARDEN PLAXXIXG 

acter, as, for instance, by making it semicir- 
cular or otherwise unconventional. 

A type of seat which has its usefulness in the 
less frequented parts of the garden is one made 
with a hinged back to fold down so as to cover 
and protect the seat in winter and during wet 
weather. 

Bridges — When water is introduced into 
the garden it may be necessary to bridge it at 
some point, either as a matter of convenience 
or for the sake of good effect. There is not 
only a certain pictorial value in a well-designed 
bridge, but it affords a standpoint for viewing 
the water vista which the gardener could not 
otherwise secure. 

The design cannot be too simple, and if any 
kind of decoration is attempted it should 
be restrained in character and appropriate for 
its purpose. I illustrate two such examples, 
the one made of oak, the other of rough cedar, 
the former of course being the more durable. 
Space should be allowed between the floor- 
boards to permit the rain-water to drain away. 

When the banks are at a slight elevation 
only above the water level, the bridge may be 
a stout plank with rails, or its place may be 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 265 

taken by stepping-stones, which always look 
well and are unconventional. 



The Sundial — In these days of clocks and 
watches it cannot be claimed that the sundial 




Fig. 90. — Bridges 

serves any useful purpose as a time-keeper. 
Yet I know of no accessory which adds more 
charm to the garden picture. It is a Hnk with 
a past age, when stately crowds, silk-coated and 
daintily gowned, roamed the garden pleas- 
aunce, careless of the flight of time. An old 
writer says: "Sundials are pleasing and vener- 
able garden decorations, and should be placed 



266 



GARDEN PLANNING 



in conspicuous, frequented parts, as in the inter- 
section of principal walks, where the *note 
which they give of time ' may be readily recog- 
nized by the passenger." This advice holds 
good in present-day garden design, and re- 
quires no qualification. The old-world charm 
of the sundial is well expressed by Charles 
Lamb in his meditation on the Temple dial: 
*'What an antique air had the now almost 
effaced sundials with their moral inscriptions, 
seeming coevals with that time which they 




Fig. 91. — Stone sundials 



measured, and to take their revelation of its 
flight immediately from heaven. How would 
the dark line steal imperceptibly on, watched 
by the eye of childhood, eager to detect its 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 267 

movement, never catched, nice as an evanes- 
cent cloud, or the first arrests of sleep!" 

Another author has described it as a " Simple, 
altar-like structure — the garden god of Chris- 
tian gardens." 

The lore of the sundial is voluminous and 
crowded with interest, but we need not follow 
it further. Enough if it provides us with a 
charming accessory full of old associations. 

For all good and artistic designs we have to 
go back to the ancient patterns, of which an 
ample number of examples still survive. Per- 
haps the best of them are to be found in Scot- 
land, bearing dates of some two hundred 
years ago. 

Even in the smallest garden the sundial is 
not out of place if due consideration is given 
to scale. 

The pillar may be of stone, brick or wood; 
but stone certainly has the best appearance, 
and follows tradition. It is sometimes possible 
to pick up an old dial shaft second-hand, but 
dealers in such things, as a rule, ask prices com- 
parable with what a new shaft would cost if 
made by the mason. Still, if an old shaft 
can be found, mellow with age and weather 



268 



GARDEN PLANNING 



action, it is worth buying at a fair price. 
One may sometimes find, in the yard of a 
country builder, an old baluster, which 
may be purchased for a very few dollars 
and will serve its purpose as a sundial shaft 
admirably. 

If a new stone shaft is to be made, then sketch 
some good old pattern. Make a careful full- 




iEEC 



A 



Fig. 92. — Brick Sundial 

size drawing, and get the local mason to hew 
it out of any granitic rock, but do not permit 
him to add any embellishments of his own. 



f ■ 

GARDEN ACCESSORIES 269 

The illustrations in Fig. 91 will serve as a 
guide to the proper thing. 

Though few old dials with brick shafts exist, 
I see no reason why this material should not 
serve the dial-maker. If the shaft is built of 
soft, red "cutting" bricks, as a rectangular 
block, it may be carved into some simple form 
as suggested in the illustration on page 268. 

The top should be of stone, to offer a good 
bed for the dial-plate, and it should be set 
dead level. 

In making a wooden dial shaft it is best to 
adopt a design of open character, more suited 
to the nature of the material. 

The sundial should be accessible, not placed, 
as I have seen it, in the centre of a flower bed. 
It does not do to ignore entirely its purpose as 
a timepiece. At the centre of a group of 
formal beds it always looks well. It may 
also stand on grass, but in that event it should 
be provided with a wide base, or it will lose 
much of its architectural value. 

Most old dials are inscribed with a motto 
— a pretty conceit well worth imitating in the 
modern reproduction. 

Other Garden Ornaments — The fountain is 



270 GARDEN PLANNING 

hardly a legitimate accessory for a small gar- 
den, unless it is quite an unobtrusive affair. 
Its most useful application is as an adjunct to .a 




Fig- 93- — Wooden sundials 

small pond where goldfish are kept. It helps 
aerate the water and therefore to keep the 
fish supplied with the oxygen which they need 
for respiration. 

Without a constant water supply a foun- 
tain is not worth having. The only condition 
which would tempt me to install a fountain on 
a small scale would be the presence in my gar- 
den on high ground of a spring or stream of 
running water which could be tapped to supply 
it. It would then only be necessary to connect 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 



271 



the water supply with the fountain pillar by 
means of an underground length of iron gas 
piping, and the thing would be done. 

Statuary is another accessory that should 
be kept out of a small garden. 

Vases of terra-cotta, iron, and other material, 
if of good design, may be made to help the 
garden picture. I illustrate three examples 
which are quite unobjectionable in shape. 
(See Fig. 94.) Iron vases require to be 
painted at frequent intervals, and are best 



painted stone colour. All vases require some 
kind of base-work to show them off to advan- 
tage, such as a terrace wall or masonry pedes- 
tal. They are best placed near the house, 
being actually architectural features. 

In old garden practice vases were sometimes 




Fig. 94. — Vases 



272 GARDEN PLANNING 

made of lead. Some good examples may be 
seen at Hampton Court, England. In no 
case should lead vases be painted. 

In modern practice, vases of square pat- 
tern and ample size are sometimes used for 




Fig. 95. — A terra-cotta vase Fig. 96. — A wooden box vase 



Standard evergreen trees. I illustrate one 
design in Fig. 95. 

Boxes or tubs may be made to serve the 
same purpose as vases, generally with equally 
good effect. They are certainly less pre- 
tentious, and will bear repetition with less 
chance of overdoing it. (See Fig. 96.) 

If of oak they will not require painting, and 



GARDEN ACCESSORIES 273 

will last for a generation if properly drained. 
This can be done by putting several one-inch 
holes in the bottom. It is well also to support 
the box by introducing three or four loose 
bricks beneath it. This not only gives better 
facility for drainage, but permits ventilation. 



CHAPTER XIX 

Some Minor Accessories 

The gardener should ever remember that 
good taste is exemplified as much in small 
things as in large. Little eyesores in the 
garden, often permitted from sheer want of 
thought, will go a long way to undo the good 
effect of thought and care and artistic treat- 
ment of the more important elements of the 
garden picture. I have seen an otherwise 
well-designed fore-court spoilt by the intro- 
duction of huge blocks of alabaster in the 
form of a ''rockery," as if the possession of a 
ton or two of such material was a thing to be 
proud of, and to be emphasized at all costs. 
The practice of making a rock-work the de- 
pository of mineral specimens, gigantic fossils, 
nuggets of glass, and conchological curiosities 
is opposed to consistency and common sense. 
Yet it is by no means unusual. It is not alone 
in the use of these superfluous things that 

274 



SOME MINOR ACCESSORIES 275 

the gardener sins. He may err in connection 
with the indispensable accessories. Flower 
stakes are a necessity, yet there is no reason 
why he should paint them red or yellow. 
They should exist as far as possible without 
being seen. For stout stakes, suitable for 
rose standards and dahlias, there is nothing 
better than one-inch square, rough-sawn oak 
rods, unpainted. They weather to a pale 
gray and sink into unobtrusiveness. Their 
durability alone should commend them to 
the gardener. If soft wood is used it may be 
painted with one of the tar solutions I recom- 
mended for fences in Chapter XVI. 

Bamboo stakes, which owe their popularity 
to their low cost, have a very short life, and 
bleach to a ghastly white, thus becoming 
unpleasantly conspicuous. 

Reverting to rose stakes, my own practice 
is to paint four inches in length on one side 
at the top lead colour, and on it to write the 
name of the rose in black enamel paint. This 
saves the need for labelling. For very stout 
stakes, such as one requires for pillar roses, 
a thin cedar post is perhaps the best. The 
white wood and green painted stakes on sale 



276 



GARDEN PLANNING 



at the seedsman's never harmonize with the 
foliage. 

Labels are often too much in evidence, 
particularly in the early part of the year. The 
white-painted variety has the virtue of being 
legible for a time, but it is gone in a season. 

Labelling is a practice too often carried to 
extremes. The gardener who knows his flowers 
will use as few labels as possible, and then 
only for such plants as bulbs and tubers, the 
positions of which are apt to be forgotten 
until their foliage pushes up out of the ground. 
Much labelling may be saved by jotting 
down on a rough plan of the garden the posi- 
tions of any special plants of which it may be 
desirable to keep a record. 

When the label is indispensable, it should 
be made of durable material and its appear- 
ance should be modest. I know nothing 
better than the label which is cut from sheet 
lead with scissors, and the name stamped on 
with a set of steel letter punches. An alter- 
native plan would be to scratch the name with 
a steel point, say the tang of a file. 

Labels of this kind, if cut with a tail, may be 
secured to trees by bending the tail round a 



SOME MINOR ACCESSORIES 277 

branch. These labels have the advantage 
that the lead gives with the growth of the 
branch, and therefore does no injury to the 
tree. Zinc labels may be cut from the sheet 
with shears, and the name etched upon them 
by first coating them with paraffin or wax, 
scratching the lettering with a steel point, 
and then applying dilute sulphuric acid with 
a strip of wood until the letters are etched 
deeply enough. Copious effervescence will 
show that the acid is biting into the zinc. 

If the lettering on lead or zinc labels is 
smeared with red enamel and the surface 
wiped clean with a rag, the name will be more 
clearly visible. 

I have already more than once protested 
against the use of paint in the garden. I 
admit the temptation to revive the freshness 
of things with a touch of colour in town gardens. 
But the remedy is worse than the disease, if 
the garden man is let loose with an unrestricted 
palette. 

Stonework, terra-cotta, porous pottery (into 
which category comes the flower pot), and 
most woodwork, is best left unpainted. Iron- 
work, of which the less there is in the 



278 GARDEN PLANNING 

garden the better, must be painted, or it will 
rust. But there is no reason why the paint 
should not be quiet in colour and in harmony 
with the natural objects of the garden. The 
man who paints his vases claret colour picked 
out with blue and white deserves anything. 
I have already offered suggestions for the 
colour of fences and trellis. I was long puzzled 
about the original colour of the paint work 
one finds on old garden furniture, which after 
years of exposure has acquired that beautiful 
turquoise shade beloved of painters, until 
I made some experiments. The result was to 
satisfy me that this charming tint is a product 
of weather action upon a somewhat crude 
green. If the gardener likes to test the mat- 
ter, and is content to put up with the crude- 
ness of the colour for a year or two, he may 
paint his garden woodwork with "Brunswick 
green." I can promise him that if he have 
patience and live long enough, in time the 
weather will change it to the desired tint. 
This change, however, only occurs in a pure 
atmosphere. 

I need hardly warn the reader who has 
followed me thus far of the enormity of his 



SOME MINOR ACCESSORIES 279 

offence if he permits the erection of what I 
may call garden toys. I refer to such things 
as mechanical moving models actuated by 
the wind. Even the common white flagstaff, 
beloved of certain semi-nautical gardeners 
with a patriotic turn, is an eyesore I would 
banish from the private garden. 

On the other hand, a well-designed dove- 
cote gives an old-world touch to a pretty 
garden, if positioned with an eye to its sur- 
roundings, and with a full understanding as 
to its value in the vertical picture. 



CHAPTER XX 

Garden Plans 

In the following examples of small sub- 
urban back gardens, mostly consisting of plans 
actually executed, I have applied the principles 
set forth in the foregoing pages. Each plan 
is drawn to scale, and accompanied by a 
scale of feet, and for clearness I have included 
only such details as are needed to indicate 
the general scheme of the garden. These 
examples may be closely followed whenever 
the conditions are the same as shown in the 
plans. It should be understood that for a 
given set of factors there are many possible 
arrangements, all equally good, so that per- 
sonal taste and inclination may be allowed 
considerable scope, so long as the main prin- 
ciples of planning are observed. Considera- 
tions of economy may dictate the omission 
or modification of certain details, which the 
gardener will decide for himself. My primary 

280 



GARDEN PLANS 



281 



object in presenting these plans is to elucidate 
the subject of garden design in a concrete form. 
If they should prove of use in individual cases, 
so much the better. It should be noted that 
each plan is made for a special aspect, and 
that it will only hold good for an aspect not 
greatly differing from that shown by the arrow 
with which the plan is marked. But, given 
the same aspect, the plan would serve for plots 
of similar proportions and dimensions, and 
with care to preserve due scale between de- 
tails, for plots of larger or smaller size. Thus 
the plan (Fig. 106) might be applied to a plot 
of twice the length shown, by lengthening the 
central grass space and its associated borders, 
and leaving the features at such end the same 
as shown on the plan. 

In all these examples the following points 
have been observed: 

1. Grass is confined to compact areas, with 
means of access to them at more than one point. 

2. Trees are placed so as not to cast shadows 
on the borders. 

3. Principal borders are in full sun. 

4. The summer house entrance is in shade 
or partial shade. 



282 GARDEN PLANNING 

5. Symmetry in the main features of the 
plan is ignored. 

6. Path space is reduced to a minimum, so 
far as is consistent with achieving a pictur- 
esque effect. 

7. When grass space is divided, the two 
areas are not of equal size. 

8. The vista from the summer house is 
made as interesting as possible. 

9. No curves or angles other than right 
angles are introduced into the garden lines, 
except only where they may serve some useful 
purpose, as in Figs. 112, 129. 

I have adopted the following conventional 
indications in all the plans : 

Beds and borders Full black 

Grass Shaded 

House Hatched 

Paths, drives, and vegetable spaces Unshaded 

Arches, thus 1 * ' I 

Pergolas, thus 



Glass, thus 



GARDEN PLANS 



283 




Fig. 97. — Size, 26 feet by 20 feet. Aspect, SE. The path at its near end 
communicates with the kitchen yard, and at its far end terminates at an 
arbour. The space at the angle ot the path might carry a tub or sundial. The 
north-west boundary fence might be raised with trellis to give increased surface 
for growing climbing plants. 

Fig. 98. — Size, 42 feet by 20 feet. Aspect, nearly due E. The path ter- 
minates at a summer house and gives access to a small yard, in which a tool- 
shed is shown. 

Note: In this and succeeding plans, the upper caption pertains to the left- 
hand diagram; the lower caption to the right-hand diagram. 



284 GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 99. — Size, 45 feet 6 inches by 20 
feet. Aspect, N. The back entrance 
gate is screened by the summer house, 
and the yard offers accommodation for 
garden requisites, and contains a small 
tool-shed. The expansion in the path 
might carry a vase or tub. 



Fig. 100. — Size, 65 feet 6 mches by 
22 feet. Aspect, approximately NE. 

About one third of the plot is devoted to vegetables and screened off by a 
hedge and a summer house. 



GARDEN PLANS 



285 




Fig. loi. — Size, 6g feet by 15 feet. Aspect, approximately S. Half the 
space is given to vegetable ground, a glass house being placed at the division. 
The eastern border continues through the kitchen plot. 

Fig. 102. — Size, 58 feet by 20 feet. Aspect, E. Thejwhole of this plot is laid 
out as flower ground. The southern border against the fence is shady, and 
should be planted with shade-loving subjects. 



286 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 103. — Size, 64 feet by 22 feet. Aspect, N. This aspect admits of 
flower display close to the house-back. A sundial is shown in the gravel space 
facing the back entrance, and a flower vase in the square expansion of the 
path. The small detached grass area might be planted with trees to make a 
shady corner, and bulbs might be planted in the grass. 

Fig. 104. — Size, 67 feet by 25 feet. Aspect, NW. About one third of the 
plot is screened off for use as vegetable ground, and borders are carried 
through it. 



GARDEN PLANS 



287 




Fig. 105. — Size, 87 feet by 30 feet. Aspect, NNE. A feature is made of 
a formal group of beds facing the summer house, a sundial occupying the 
centre of the group. The path terminates in an alpine garden, which com- 
mimicates by steps with a detached grass space, planted for shade. The di- 
viding hedge gives a sense of enclosure to the formal garden, and privacy to 
the space beyond. 

Fig. 106. — Size, 116 feet by 40 feet. Aspect, SW. The summer house, 
trees, and shrubs screen the diagonal piece of fence. The end space is de- 
voted to a sunken alpine garden. A low rulable wall retains the borders to north 
and south-west. A raised circular bed occupies the centre. The roofed space 
at the house-back is a veranda, from which a pleasant vista down the plot is 
obtained. 



288 GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 107.^ — Size, 60 feet by 26 feet, expanding at end to 44 feet. Aspect, 
NE. This is not an uncommon shape for suburban plots, and it lends itself 
to a pleasing arrangement, the pocket at the end coming as a surprise. 



GARDEN PLANS 




Fig. io8. — Size, 126 
feet by 27 feet, average. 
Aspect, E. A small vege- 
table ground is shown at 
the end, divided off by a 
cranked line of hedging. 
This gives opportunity 
for setting a formal group 
of beds in the rectangular 
space adjoining the sum- 
mer house. This space 
would make a good rose 
garden. An alpine gar- 
den breaks off from the 
main path, and commu- 
nicates by steps with a 
shady corner at the south- 
west. 




pjg log —Size, 68 feet 6 inches by 29 feet, average. Aspect, SW. The 
details are sufficiently indicated in the plan. 



GARDEN PLANS 29 1 




Fig. 110. — Size, 146 feet by 40 feet, average. Aspect, SE. A yard with 
outbuildings separates the flower garden into two almost equal spaces. The 
front grass area might be reserved for croquet. A small vegetable ground 
occupies the extreme end of the plot. 




Fig. III. — Size, 148 feet by 54 feet, average. Aspect, NW. A curved 
roadway, causes a diverging shape. The details of the plan will sufl&ciently 
explain themselves. 



GARDEN PLANS 293 




Fig. 112. — Size, 113 feet by 36 feet, average. Aspect, SW. In this case 
the garden boundaries are of unusual shape, but they do not preclude a good 
arrangement— in fact, this may be made a picturesque and interesting garden 
if the suggestion contained in the plan be carried out. 



294 GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 113. — Size, 156 feet by 60 feet. Aspect, E. A simple rectangular plot 
with detached house, built on orchard ground. Fruit trees were retained in 
the positions shown, and made an interesting feature. In this and other ex- 
amples it should be noted that a trellis screen is introduced to give privacy to 
the kitchen qnartrrs. 




Fig. 114. — Size, 95 feet by 70 feet, average. Aspect, E, A slightly diverging 
plot devoted entirely to flower garden. 



296 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 115. — Size, 129 feet by 84 feet. Aspect, E. A corner plot with sepa- 
rate entrance to the kitchen quarters. In this case the house is placed as far 
as possible from both thoroughfares. The features include a summer house, a 
sundial, rock garden, pergola, and group of rose beds. 



GARDEN PLANS 297 




Fig. 116. — Size, 94 feet by 78 feet, average. Aspect, W. The house is set 
parallel with north and west fence lines. The slope to the north-east neces- 
sitates terracing on two sides of the house. The terrace wall at its highest part 
is concealed by the rockwork of the alpine garden. Fruit trees are planted in 
the south-east comer. The whole makes a compact and interesting garden. 



298 



GARDEN PLANNING 




GARDEN PLANS 



299 




Fig. 118. — Size, 1 24 feet by 92 feet, average. Aspect, E. A slightly converg- 
ing plot, one half laid out as flower ground, the remainder as fruit and 
vegetable garden. 

Note : In none of the foregoing plans has any provision been made for a tennis 
lawn. In most cases the space is insufficient, without destroying the value of 
the garden as a picturesque flower ground. With plots of larger size the grass 
space might be utilized for tennis by keeping it free of trees. 



Figs. 119 to 125 inclusive show examples of 
fore-courts or gardens situated between the 
house and the thoroughfare, in some cases being 



300 GARDEN PLAXXIXG 



supplementary to the principal garden, and in 
others constituting the principal garden space. 




Fig. 119. — Size, 20 feet by ig feet. Aspect, S. This plan shows the simple 
treatment I advocate for a small fore-court. It provides ample floTrer space 
and is more effective when well planted than if the design were more complex. 

Fig. 120. — Size, 20 feet b}- iS feet 6 inches. Aspect, W. A group of flower- 
ing shrubs occupies a central position on the grass. The position of the 
entrance gate permits of borders on either side of the path. 




Fig. 121. — Size, 40 feet by 40 feet,^ Aspect, W, The group of beds on the 
gravel makes a pleasing and distinctr\'e feature. 

Fig. 122, — Size, 19 feet by 30 feet. Aspect, E. An arrangement which 
gives ample border space, and admits of a group of small beds on the grass. 




Fig. 124. — Size, 73 feet by 15 feet. Aspect, S. A not uncommon type of 
front garden, arranged so as to obtain variety in detail, and a screening effect 
for the sake of privacy. 



302 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. 125. — Size, 59 feet by 32 feet. Aspect, S. A front garden of ample 
width, admitting of treatment for picturesque effect. With a good screen of 
trees or shrubs along the front boundary this garden would not be unduly 
overlooked. It should be noted that the side yard is masked by trees and 
the summer house by transverse borders. A sundial might be placed in the 
central expansion of the path. 



GARDEN PLANS 



The following four examples of existing gar- 
dens, planned by the author, will give the 
reader some idea of how to treat spaces of 
larger area than those already illustrated. 




Fig. 126. — A plot of about one acre. The house had been built before 
the garden was designed, and made to face due south. Thus it was necessary 
to work in contradiction to one of the rules laid down in this book. Fortunately, 
the circumstances permitted of obtaining a good result. The diagonally run- 
ning broad walk_ constitutes quite a valuable feature. The separation of the 
kitchen garden into three separate plots was by the owner's wish, and for the 
purpose of making the lawn on the north side, whence a pleasant oucIook over 
an adjoining golf course was too-valuable to be sacrinced^or marred by a fore- 
ground of vegetables. The formal group of beds in tne south-west comer is a 
rose garden. 



304 



GARDEN PLANNING 



The planning has followed the general 
principles already expounded, though with a 
certain latitude permitted by the circumstances, 
and with concessions to the expressed wishes of 
the owners, in some of the details. 




Fig. 127. — ^This was a plot of irregular shape, through which ran an old 
hedgerow with several standing elm trees, three or four of which were pre- 
served. The line of this hedgerow followed the sloping path between the steps 
to the east of it. Note the vista through the kitchen garden, with its back- 
ground of fruit trees. 



3o6 



GARDEN PLANNING 




CHAPTER XXI 
Planting 

The practical aspect of planting is for the 
working gardener. It consists of placing the 
plants in the soil in such a way that they at 
once find conditions suitable for growth, both 
as regards nourishment and external environ- 
ment. This implies a knowledge of the re- 
quirements of each kind of plant. It is not 
sufficient to dig a hole and thrust in the roots. 
The hole should be of the right depth and of 
ample size to accommodate the roots when 
spread out over its bottom, and the soil thrown 
in should be carefully compacted around the 
roots by pressure. These details, however, 
do not enter into the question of garden design. 
Nevertheless the garden maker has a very 
real concern in the planting operations, because 
it is in the placing of the plants that his garden 
picture may achieve its highest development, 
or be utterly marred. 

307 



308 GARDEN PLANNING 

Flowers — In planting a bed or border it is 
necessary to consider the flowers in respect to — 

1. Colour. 

2. Habit. 

3. Period of bloom. 

4. Succession. 

I. The most striking characteristic of the 
flower undoubtedly is colour, and the success 
of any piece of planting will depend to a large 
extent upon the skill and good taste with which 
the colours are managed. In the days when 
the old-fashioned flowers were deposed to make 
room for that unfortunate trio, scarlet gera- 
nium, yellow calceolaria, and blue lobelia, 
the canons of good taste were lost sight of in 
the new-born enthusiasm for vivid contrast 
in primary colours. The vogue for these 
flowers has now somewhat declined, but the 
trail of it still lingers in many gardens, and 
gardeners continue to plant as if the acme 
of good effect depended upon the accom- 
plishment of a series of garish contrasts in the 
most brilliant gamut of colour at com- 
mand. It is a question whether we should 
ever attempt to associate vividly contrasting 
colours, for if the mass of each colour is not 



PLANTING 



large, they will cancel each other at anything 
but short range. 

The finest colour effects are to be sought 
rather in harmonies, which offer a much wider 
opportunity for broad, rich, and conspicuously 
telling display, both for close inspection and 
for distant effect. 

The construction of harmonious colour 
schemes is not so much a matter of rule as of 
feeling, and a sense for colour is by no means 
universal. On the contrary, it is a somewhat 
rare gift, and it is not surprising, therefore, 
that a goodly proportion of gardeners make 
mistakes. Fortunately, however, most people 
who are not colour blind can recognize a good 
colour effect when they see it, though they may 
be powerless to originate one. 

The treatment of a bed or border must to 
some extent be governed by circumstances, 
and by the number of different colours avail- 
able. It is not desirable that every square 
foot of soil should cry aloud at the top of its 
Voice. Here we may make a subtle harmony 
of subdued tints, the beauty of which will 
appeal only to the near spectator: there we 
may strive for a more insistent note of 



3IO GARDEN PLANNING 

colour, with a view to producing a vivid note 
in the general picture. 

It is with the warm tints that one can con- 
trive the greatest wealth of colour effect. 
Rose, crimson, scarlet, orange, and yellow 
associate harmoniously and reinforce each 
other. Lilac, lavender, mauve, purple, and 
violet form another group equally suitable 
for a rich concordance, or to contrast in the 
mass with yellow. Whites are generally best 
associated with the paler colours, such as 
pinks, mauve, or primrose yellow. The pure 
blues which we get in the gentian and delphi- 
nium are best kept away from the mauve and 
purple blooms. They are always difficult to 
deal with in a harmonized scheme, and perhaps 
had best be reserved for the few vivid contrasts 
with which we may punctuate here and there 
our colour picture. The rich scarlet which we 
have in the lychnis and Oriental poppy will 
furnish the other element of such a contrast. 

A combination of gentian blue with a pale 
green foliage plant, like the common pyreth- 
rum, is a somewhat daring but generally pleas- 
ing contrast. The reddish mauves also com- 
bine well with this coloured foliage. 



PLANTING 311 

It is hardly possible to enumerate all the 
combinations of colour, even when only two 
elements are used. Those who have an eye 
for a good colour effect will experiment for 
themselves, and continually find new and 
charming harmonies and contrasts. For those 
who cannot trust their colour sense I have 
compiled a short list of examples which may 
be relied upon to yield good results if used 
in a suitable environment. 



C0I0U1 



Hardy Flozver Examples 



White and Mauve 

White and Yellow 
White and Pink 

White and Pale Blue 

Scarlet and Blue 

Scarlet and Crimson 

Deep Blue and Pale Blue 
Crimson and Rose 

Tvlauve and Yellow 



Crimson and Yellow 
Purple and Yellow 



White herbaceous phlox 
Mauve violas 

Iceland poppies of both colours 

White violas 

Herbaceous phlox 

Iheris sempervirens 

Campanula Carpatica 

Lychnis Chalcedonica 

Delphinium 

Geum 

Pyrethrum 

Delphiniums of both shades 

Sweet-william 

Herbaceous phlox 

Galega officinalis 

Anthemis tinctoria 

Aster 

Solidago 

Snapdragons of both colours 

Crocus 

Daffodil 



312 GARDEN PLANNING 

Gray foliage should be associated with vivid 
colours such as crimson, scarlet, and pure blue; 
brown or purple foliage with yellow and orange. 
Magenta crimsons and bluish pinks should 
not be placed in juxtaposition to pure crimsons 
or scarlets. 

Rose-pink and rosy mauve harmonize with 
silvery gray, and we may have this combina- 
tion in one plant as in Stachys lanata. As 
might be expected, nature rarely makes a 
mistake, so that a plant's own foliage is gener- 
ally in harmony with its flowers, or furnishes 
a good background contrast for them. 

How little the subject of colour is under- 
stood, even by those who offer guidance in 
the matter, is shown by the wide differences 
of view that writers have adopted. One 
authority, whose opinions one would imagine 
were the outcome of some defect of vision, 
says, "Nor have I any preference for one 
colour over another; but I have very decided 
notions that the various colours should be so 
completely commingled that one would be 
puzzled to determine what tint predominates 
in the entire arrangement." This surely is most 
precise advice on how not to achieve a good 



PLANTING 313 

colour scheme, and well describes the common 
but ineffective method of arranging a mixed 
bed or border, in which everything kills every- 
thing else. 

It should be an axiom in garden practice 
to contrast or harmonize colour in masses. 
An instructive experiment tried some years 
since, for determining the best method of 
painting gun-carriages so as to render them 
inconspicuous at a distance, consisted in using 
red, blue^ and yellow paint in spots, a kind of 
stippling of the surface with the primary colours 
in equal proportions. The result entirely real- 
ized its originator's intentions. The coloured 
spots were mutually destructive, and the 
resultant tint a neutral gray. This is quite 
in accordance with theory, and I mention it 
here because it demonstrates how entirely 
mistaken is the writer whose dictum I have 
just quoted. 

Were I planting a bed with flowers of two 
contrasting colours I should adopt the simple 
plan of using a broad edging of one colour with 
a central mass of the other. A bed of white 
pinks, edged with mauve violas, or of purple blue 
Canterbury bells,"" edged with yellow violas, or 



314 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Fig, 130 — Ar- 
rangement of her- 
baceous border 



with the yellowish-green foliage of. 
the pyrethrunijWould entirely satis- 
fy my sense of a good colour effect. 

When it comes to planting a long 
herbaceous border, the same prin- 
ciples apply. Indiscriminate mix- 
ture of colours, as already seen, is 
the least effective mode of plant- 
ing, and formal parallel rows are 
almost equally ineffective. The 
best way is to use large masses of 
each colour, and with them to 
construct a consecutive harmony, 
which we may regard as a kind of 
floral spectrum in which colour 
succeeds colour, each harmoniously 
related to its neighbour on either 
side. These colour masses should 
not be in simple compartments di- 
vided by transverse lines, but of 
irregular shape, as shown in the 
illustration. 

The sequence of colours may be 
varied within limits, always pro- 
vided the rules of harmony be ob- 
served. Here are two typical series : 



PLANTING 



(1) Purple, mauve, white, pale yellow, bright 
yellow, orange, scarlet, crimson, rose, pink, 
white, pale blue, full blue. 

(2) Deep red, scarlet, orange, yellow, pale 
yellow, white, pale blue, deep blue. 

The same order may be repeated, adopting 
different proportions for the masses if the 
border is a long one, or the scheme may be 
varied by changing the sequence of colours. 
In some cases a more limited scheme may be 
advisable, in which one or more colours are 
suppressed, white being an element which may 
be omitted without detriment to a good result. 
White is so telling at any time that it should 
always be used with restraint. Yellow also 
is a colour that may be overdone. 

The foliage of the plants which we use in 
these colour arrangements may or may not 
affect the results, either by reinforcing the 
colour values, or by toning them down. Gen- 
erally speaking, however, it takes a subordi- 
nate place, and may well be neglected. Chev- 
reuil, the famous Director of the Gobelins Dye 
Works, who wrote "The Laws of Contrast of 
Colour," says: "An objection might be ad- 
dressed to me that the green of the leaves 



3i6 



GARDEN PLANNING 



which serves as a ground to the flowers destroys 
the effect of their contrast, but it is not so; 
and to be convinced of it, it is sufficient to fix 
upon a screen of green silk two kinds of flowers 
(of contrasting colour) and to look at them 
from a distance of about ten paces; for when 
the eye is fixed upon two well-defined objects 
simultaneously, surrounding objects produce 
but feeble impressions." 

I believe that in the garden picture we hardly 
appreciate the colour effect of the foliage of 
our plants, not only because of the retiring 
character of most greens, but because they 
merge into the other larger masses of green 
— the grass, trees, and shrubs — and thus 
become part of the general background. 

There are, however, the gray and yellow 
greens which, by reason of their contrast with 
the others, are not negligible, and on that 
account they may become useful as colour 
factors in certain schemes. 

The student of colour in the garden may con- 
sult Chevreuil with advantage. He has an- 
alyzed colour sensation in a masterly way, 
devoting a special section of his book to horti- 
culture, and though his conclusions were 



PLANTING 317 

formulated half a century ago, they still hold 
good in their scientific and artistic applications. 

2. The habit of the plant is the next point 
to be considered, and it is by no means an unim- 
portant one. By habit I mean not only shape, 
size, and general appearance, but also those 
special characters which distinguish one plant 
from another. It may consist in mode of 
branching, texture of foliage, form of flower 
head, colour of foliage, denseness or sparseness 
of blossom, or time of flowering in relation to 
leaf production (some plants, it is well known, 
put forth their flowers before their leaves, as 
the daphne, forsythia, etc.). It is only when 
we know these details that we are in a position 
to use the plant to best advantage. I have 
already pointed out how important it is that 
our garden plants should be allowed freedom 
of growth to develop their individual characters. 
Character in the plant is one of its greatest 
charms to those who regard it not merely as 
a means for producing blossom. In referring 
to "freedom of growth" I do not wish it to be 
understood that I condemn those necessary 
pruning operations which make for the welfare 
of the plant. I refer solely to the growing of 



3l8 ^ GARDEN PLANNING 

plants in a way to develop their special habit, 
instead of pinching and cutting them into 
some conventional form foreign to their nature. 

To make the point clear I may instance a 
herbaceous border in which the best general 
effect is produced when there is no rigid sys- 
tem of grading the plants in height. Though 
the rule should be to put the taller and more 
robust plants to the back, it is essential to the 
best results from a picturesque point of view 
that this rule should be broken occasionally, 
by here and there reversing it. One or more 
bold clumps of fiow^er brought to the front at 
irregular intervals gives a character to the 
border that would be unobtainable in any 
other way. 

The gardener who prides himself on a tidy 
garden may resent the intrusion of a massy 
clump upon his path or grass edge, and will 
keep it within bounds by ill-judged mutila- 
tion, till the poor intruder becomes a maimed 
wreck. It is by this kind of gardening that 
plants are shorn of their beauty, and the 
border is made a stiff and formal detail. 

The next point is to see that each plant has 
sufficient elbow-room to develop without 



PLANTING 319 

hindrance from its neighbours. This does not 
imply a starved bed or border, only that, 
armed with the knowledge of the habit of each 
plant, the gardener allots it just sufficient 
room to grow centrifugally without check from 
its companions. Thus the taller plants may 
be separated by others of more moderate 
growth, and the former will have space above 
to expand their foliage unhindered. 

Again, with a knowledge of plant habit we 
may associate bushy plants with those which 
tend to legginess — to use a term well known 
to the gardening fraternity — and thereby 
conceal the uninteresting view of a sheaf of 
bare stalks. Plants which throw up long 
narrow spikes of flower may keep company 
with others having a tufted habit, to their 
mutual advantage in the general effect. Those 
with silvery, glaucous, or bronze foliage may 
be placed where they will reinforce others 
whose flowers are best set off by contrast with 
these special kinds of foliage. Shrubs and 
plants which flower in advance of their leaves 
may be supported by evergreen or early- 
leafing plants. Again, we may use the bold- 
foliaged plant for association with those 



320 GARDEN PLANNING 

of Sparse and inconspicuous habit. The final 
result of care in these particulars will be a 
natural, informal effect, in which every individ- 
ual plant appears to be, and is, at home in 
its surroundings, and in consequence is best 
conditioned for producing its maximum contri- 
bution to the aggregate picture. If, as I have 
instanced, some vigorous plant pushes forward 
beyond the boundary, or some pretty trailer 
ignores the edging, it is a gain to the gardener 
and no fault of the planting. He should suffer 
such accidents, in reason. He may even con- 
spire to bring them about, for the special 
purpose of importing informality into the 
garden. 

In the back row, variety of height is desirable, 
even when all are tall, for the plants will sil- 
houette against the background, and an even 
row, like soldiers on parade, would be monot- 
onous. 

In beds and groups of beds the same princi- 
ples apply, but not quite in the same degree. 
We may group the tall plants in the centre 
and reserve the margin for others of smaller 
and more uniform size. Though we may plan 
on geometrical lines, we should, like the painter, 



PLANTING 321 

endeavour to soften them. Our plants will 
do that for us if only we allow them. 

3. It is only by making ourselves acquainted 
with the flowering period of our plants that 
we can be sure that those we bring together 
for the purpose of constructing a contrast or 
colour harmony will be in bloom at the same 
time. Not only should they start approxi- 
mately simultaneously, but their periods of 
bloom should, as far as possible, coincide in 
length, because the effect will be measured in 
duration by the period of the flower which 
lasts the shortest time. By judicious selection 
it is possible to contrive that there shall be few 
failures from this source. 

4. Succession is the very keynote of good 
gardening, for we cannot afford to shorten 
the period during which flowers are possible, 
nor can we tolerate empty spaces in our borders. 
By consulting a seedsman's list the garden 
maker may select his plants and so dispose 
them that, as the spring-blooming kinds fail, 
others will succeed for the summer months 
to be followed in their turn by the autumn- 
blooming kinds. This system of succession, 
well arranged, will give us flowers from Febru- 



322 GARDEN PLANNING 

ary to mid-November, thus covering the maxi- 
mum period during which we are Hkely to be 
able to enjoy our gardens. It demands some 
nicety of method, particularly when the bor- 
ders are laid out for a broad colour effect, im- 
plying that each separate colour group must 
contain plants of which some will always be in 
flower. In other words, the distribution of 
early, middle, and late-flowering plants must 
be over the whole space and in intimate asso- 
ciation. 

My references have been confined to hardy 
plants, because they alone come within the 
purview of the garden designer. The effects 
to be obtained from annuals and bedding-out 
plants belong to the routine of garden manage- 
ment, but the same principles apply as regards 
colour, habit, period, and succession. 



CHAPTER XXII 



Further Considerations in 
Garden Making 

The impress of art should be as much in 
evidence in the minor details of the garden as 
in the more important and more obvious ones. 
Carelessness in small matters may go a long 
way to undo the results of thought and skill 
devoted to the main features. 

In the foregoing pages I have endeavoured 
to formulate simple rules for the guidance of 
the garden designer. I have not only stated 
the "how" but also the "why," believing 
that thereby my advice will carry more weight 
and be the better understood and remembered. 

Although the construction of a garden plan 
on paper is a necessary preliminary to the 
practical operations on the site, it will only 
carry the garden maker a certain way toward 
the desired result. Much of the detail will 
have to be filled in on the ground. It is in the 
323 



324 GARDEN PLANNING 

finishing touches that he may add distinction 
to the picture, and he should, therefore, study 
his work as it proceeds, looking for opportunities 
for minor embellishments and effects in detail. 
I do not mean that he should seek for an over- 
elaborated result, but he should be alive to 
possibilities, and should neglect none of the 
various openings which may present themselves 
for artistic work in a small way. 

I have already dealt with colour in the plant- 
ing of beds and borders, but there are other 
places in which the garden maker may intro- 
duce charming effects. One of the most gor- 
geous pieces of colour work I have ever seen 
was the result of planting Virginia creeper at 
the foot of a clump of small firs in the fore- 
court of a country residence. In a short time 
it had clambered up amongst the dark foliage, 
and had festooned it with graceful sprays. In 
summer the foliage told as light green against 
dark, but the effect in autumn, when every leaf 
was vivid carmine, was indescribably beautiful. 

I remember also a similar effect in a Scottish 
garden, in which a flame nasturtium {Tropceolum 
speciosum) had taken possession of a large 
straggling elder tree, and wreathed it about 



GARDEN MAKING 325 

with masses of scarlet. The result in that 
case was a happy accident, but none the less 
worthy of being noted and subsequently re- 
peated with deliberate intent. This nasturtium 
cannot be found in America, but the trumpet 
vine offers a near substitute. 

Reds always come so well against a mass of 
dark foliage that we can never make a mistake 
in contriving effects like those just described. 

There are colour effects of contrast and colour 
effects of harmony, and we may employ either 
or both according to circumstances. 

An irregular belt of the beautiful palmate- 
leaved Japanese maples on the near side of a 
mass of shrubs makes a glorious expanse of 
quiet but sufficiently conspicuous colour, if 
the component plants be selected for variety 
of tint and texture. 

The favourite box elder {Acer negundo), and 
its gold-leaved variety, if often repeated, pro- 
duce a cheap and commonplace effect, but a 
single specimen, well placed, strikes a charming 
note of colour. A like effect is obtainable with 
the common golden elder, which should be 
cut to the ground every year to preserve its 
bushy habit. 



326 GARDEN PLANNING 

The flowering trees afford us abundant op- 
portunity for constructing colour masses in 
the vertical plane, but their colour must be 
seen against a solid background of green foliage 
to yield its best effects. This applies particu- 
larly to trees with loose, open foliage like the 
thorn, almond, and laburnum. Subjects like 
the horse chestnut are sufficiently dense in 
foliage to constitute their own background. 

I have already referred to the planting of 
bulbs in grass. Some surpassingly beautiful 
effects may be contrived in the less formal 
parts of the garden by the judicious use of 
bulbs in this way. The daffodil, crocus, scilla, 
and snowflake are suitable for the purpose. 
They should be arranged in large groups of 
one colour, not commingled as is so often done. 

In a half-shady corner, particularly where 
there are banks, the polyanthus or lily-of-the- 
valley, may be naturalized, and will prove a 
delightful feature in spring. 

Though subtropical gardening is a costly 
and troublesome hobby, a semi-tropical effect 
may be secured on a small scale by selecting 
suitable plants. Given a position not too 
closely related with formal surroundings, it 



GARDEN MAKING 327 

is worth while to attempt such an effect, using 
only hardy plants. Success will depend upon 
the skill with which the materials are em- 
ployed. I should prefer a sheltered position, 
and I should plant such trees as staghorn 
sumach, ilanthus, Aralia spinosa^ and Salts- 
huria adiantifolia. There should be a col- 
lection of hardy bamboos, yuccas, reeds 
(particularly Arundo conspicua and A. donax), 
pampas grass, and bold-foliaged plants like 
acanthus, polygonum, rhubarb, and rod- 
gersia. I would introduce kniphofia for its 
colour value. Of smaller plants I should 
select those which afford a suggestion of exotic 
form — funkia, Bocconia cordata, crown im- 
perial, Solomon's Seal, coltsfoot, verbascum, 
ferns, and many others which I need not 
enumerate. 

The beauty of a pseudo-tropical garden 
made on these lines would consist in the variety 
and special character of the foliage, and 
everything being hardy, it would not involve 
a tithe of the trouble and expense of a sub- 
tropical garden. 

The graceful habit and beauty of flower of our 
hardy climbers make them valuable material 



328 



GARDEN PLANNING 



for the gardener. For the pergola, walls and 
fences, arches, and for special effects amongst 
trees and shrubs, they are indispensable. As 
subjects for the house walls they have their 
best opportunity for full development, because 
of the height and extent of the wall surfaces. 
With so many charming examples of climber- 
covered houses around us it is remarkable 
that the gardener so often overlooks the possi- 
bilities of creating a beautiful picture on the 
house walls. The oft-repeated fallacy that 
growth of this kind causes damp walls has 
already been refuted. It doubtless accounts 
for the studied neglect of this part of the garden 
picture. In my opinion nothing helps to bring 
the house into harmony with its garden sur- 
roundings so effectually as the treatment of 
its walls with creepers, particularly those which 
tend toward a full and informal habit, clus- 
tering in rounded masses as they ascend and 
benignly concealing the angles and straight 
lines of the brickwork. There should be 
creepers to flower at all seasons and for every 
aspect. Of purely foliage ones I should not be 
lavish, particularly of such subjects as Boston 
ivy {Ampelopsis tricusptdata) , which hugs the 



GARDEN MAKING 329 

walls in a thin sheet of uniform surface. But 
of the climbing roses, clematis, jasmines, honey- 
suckle, and wistaria we cannot be too prodigal. 

I have already referred to the necessity for 
not overdoing the whites in the garden. White 
tells more strongly than any colour, and scat- 
tered whites have a tendency to degrade the 
colours with which they are associated. But 
white may be used in a way to produce an 
admirable effect if it be the right kind of white. 
It is essential that it be used in the mass, and I 
know of no more beautiful feature for a garden 
than a dense group of Lilium candidum, its 
pure white petals softened and modified by 
the yellow anthers and their reflections. 

There are certain plants and shrubs which 
have a special claim to be treated as 
"specimens," affording us a means of adding 
interest to a lawn. One of the best of these is 
the yucca, which is hardy and evergreen, and 
throws up a fine, bold spike of creamy flowers. 
It should be placed where it will be sheltered 
from cold winds, and preferably in association 
with other shrubs. 

The pampas grass is another equally valuable 
plant, too familiar to need description. It is 



330 GARDEN PLANNING 

best placed in an isolated position where it will 
have space to throw out its graceful, arching 
foliage, and if possible it should have a foliage 
background for the creamy plumes it produces 
so freely. 

Terrace walls, whether the brick or masonry 
kinds so dear to the architect, or the rough 
rubble walls which with advantage may take 
their place, should never be allowed to be bare. 
The former may be clothed with creepers, the 
latter with alpines. Shady corners, and spaces 
unsuitable for flower-growing, may be planted 
with ferns, which thrive best in shade if they 
have protection from cold winds. 

An interesting feature in an English garden 
was called an "Orchid Dell" by the owner. It 
was a hollow on a chalky hillside, which had 
been excavated at some earlier period, and, 
before taken in hand, had supported a straggling 
growth of hazel. Soil had gravitated to the 
bottom, and had become overgrown with fine 
grass. Native ferns were planted freely about 
the hazel stems. A rough spiral path was 
carried from the floor to the brink of the dell, 
threading its way through the thicket. In the 
grass, native orchids were planted, and the con- 



GARDEN MAKING 33 1 

ditions proved favourable to their welfare. The 
common bluebell, wild anemone, and primrose 
of the woods were added, being confined mainly 
to the steep banks. The effect in spring was 
beautiful, the flowers losing nothing by being 
in partial shade. The dell was entered through 
a natural arch of ''Traveller's Joy" — the wild 
clematis. I mention this as an instance of 
what may be done to beautify what by many 
would be regarded as a piece of waste ground 
suitable only as a dumping place for garden 
rubbish. An almost exact counterpart is 
possible on most of the garden spots of 
America. 

In spite of our best efforts to make the garden 
beautiful at every point, it will happen at times, 
unfortunately, that ugly objects intrude into 
the picture. A stable building, potting-shed, 
garage, or other structure, necessary but un- 
beautiful, offends the eye, and it should be 
the gardener's care to conceal it. Much may 
be done by planting trees and shrubs, but they 
take time to grow to sufficient size, and whilst 
the natural screen is in progress of development 
it is well to erect a temporary one of trellis, 
training some quick-growing climbers upon it. 



332 



GARDEN PLANNING 



In certain cases there may be insufficient room 
for the natural screen, and then the trelHs 
should be a permanent structure, built sub- 
stantially of stout materials. 

I might enumerate a vast number of sugges- 
tions and expedients for creating beauty in the 
garden details, but I could not hope to exhaust 
the subject within the limits of this chapter. 
Each garden provides its own particular set 
of problems, and the main point for the garden 
maker is to be alive to opportunities for in- 
teresting work and to avail himself of them to 
the utmost. Though I have emphasized the 
importance of studying the general effect, 
and of treatment adapted for securing a broad, 
well-composed, and interesting picture, I re- 
gard it as equally important that the details 
should be as carefully studied. A garden is 
seen in tw^o ways — as a pleasant place afford- 
ing a sense of space, repose, and variety of 
form and colour, and as something to examine 
in detail for its interest of flower and plant. 
In time the outlines of the garden become so 
familiar to the owner that they only feebly im- 
press him, but not so the beds, borders, and 
other parts of the garden devoted to flower 



GARDEN MAKING 333 

display. The latter are ever changing with 
the seasons and growth of the plants, and thus 
are places of perennial interest. This, I think, 
is sufficient reason for attention to the smaller 
garden problems, and I regard such problems, 
so far as they involve constructive work — in 
which I include planting — as coming within 
the province of the garden designer. Whether 
his efforts are directed to the removal or con- 
cealment of some eyesore, or to the creation 
of some pleasing effect in colour, or to provid- 
ing a means of growing some specially interest- 
ing kind of plant, the result will be of value to 
the garden as finish, " that quality which 
will stamp his work with the character of 
thoroughness. 

A reserve plot is a useful adjunct to any 
garden. It may be placed wherever a con- 
venient spot is available, but most often it is 
associated with a kitchen garden, which is 
perhaps the best practice. It is just a place 
for raising and pricking out seedlings, but if 
space permits it may be made to serve the 
further purpose of growing flowers for cutting. 
Most garden owners are only too delighted to 
offer plants to their friends, and the reserve 



334 GARDEN PLANNING 

garden is the place from which they may 
distribute surplus stuff without making gaps 
in the beds. It also conduces to economy, 
for nearly all the hardy perennials may be 
easily raised from seed in the reserve garden, 
and it is a source of much interest so to 
raise them. 



CHAPTER XXIII 
The Garden and the Flower 

In the foregoing pages I have endeavoured 
to make it clear that the garden, considered 
as a place for flower-growing, stands in relation 
to the flower as a house to its inmates; in other 
words, that the garden is for the flower or plant. 
For claiming this very obvious relationship, 
I have elsewhere incurred some amount of 
criticism, which significantly came from persons 
interested in architecture. I do not propose 
to answer such criticism in detail, but I may 
fittingly conclude this book with some general 
remarks on the subject. 

With no sort of prejudice against architects, 
I may say that a certain few of them seem to 
regard the garden as a place in which to expend 
an overflow of architectural effort, and if we 
may judge by results, these outlying works 
are more often than not conceived without the 
remotest understanding of the requirements 
335 



336 GARDEN PLANNING 

of the flower. This is by no means surprising 
when it is considered that the architect is not 
always an expert horticulturist. 

I disclaim any monopoly of opinion in this 
matter. The subject has been dealt with by 
abler hands than mine. Mr. W. Robinson, 
in "The English Flower Garden," frames an 
elaborate indictment against carrying "the 
dead lines of the builder into the garden, which 
above every other artificial creation should 
give us the sweetest fellowship with Nature." 

Any architectural features we may permit 
should be there of necessity, rather than by 
deliberate intention. They must be the out- 
come of the sitfe, demanded by the nature of 
the ground, or by considerations of conven- 
ience for the users of the garden. And when 
introduced with such good reason they must 
be so disposed as to help rather than to discount 
the garden picture. 

The terrace of exaggerated width, laden with 
heavy architectural detail, which effectually 
eclipses the slope at its foot, where perhaps the 
ground is best suited for flower culture, is an 
instance of ill-judged architectural treatment. 

Reverting to the work of the garden designer. 



THE GARDEN AND THE FLOWER 337 

whether he be professional or amateur — and I 
trust that this book may encourage the owners 
of many gardens to be their own designers 
— I wish to plead the cause of the flower, 
and to claim for it a supreme position in the 
garden. 

Were it not that we have flowers I question 
whether many of us would be garden owners. 
But having such material in abundance and 
endless variety, it is surely culpable to treat 
it as a secondary and subordinate thing. Thus 
the aim of the garden designer fails if the result 
of his efforts is something in which a dozen 
incongruous objects claim notice, each and 
every one of them competing with the flower. 

Not only must we give our flowers the sunny 
positions where they will thrive under the best 
conditions for their welfare, but we must see 
that their other needs are met in such matters 
as soil and shelter. We must also provide them 
with harmonious surroundings, and a back- 
ground, whether turf or foliage, to give due 
value to their colours; and, before all things, we 
must allow them to grow as nature intended, 
not stiffly in rows, nor pinched into uniformity 
of shape and size, but after the manner of their 



338 



GARDEN PLANNING 



kind. For each and every plant has individual 
characteristics of foliage and habit, qualities 
which are as admirable as the more obvious one 
of colour. 

Thus in planning a flower garden we must 
exercise a wise restraint, not over-elaborating 
details nor multiplying accessories, lest we 
detract from the beauty of the flower. Only 
by such means can we secure the truly artistic 
garden. 

But, says the wise man, "Your mignonette 
has overgrown your path, and one of your 
nasturtiums has strayed from its string and 
fastened on to the rose standard — your garden 
is untidy." Well, let it be so. I can suffer 
such untidiness, since I fail to see in what de- 
gree, if at all, it mars my garden picture. Does 
not the mignonette break the rigid line of the 
path, and show us that Nature laughs at our 
formal boundaries.^ Has not the errant nas- 
turtium created a gorgeous festoon of flower 
and foliage which we should never have had 
courage to originate.^ 

Put the artist into your garden and bid him 
paint. Will he go to your formal bed of gera- 
niums and set it on canvas.^ No! Rather will 



THE GARDEN AND THE FLOWER 339 

he seek out some tangled corner, where the 
expiring hollyhocks, wind-buffeted and lean- 
ing, keep company with the feathered sprays of 
the tardy starw^ort. 

After all, the whole question is the simple one 
of good taste, harmony in details, and due 
consideration for utility and consistency 
throughout the garden. 

With some of us the sense of what is fitting 
comes instinctively, with others it has to be 
learnt. The purpose of this book will be well 
served if it be the means of helping the latter 
to recognize the significance of art in the 
garden, and of showing the way to a point of 
view in matters horticultural, which, in spite 
of ever-increasing popular interest in the sub- 
ject, hitherto has not received sufficient con- 
sideration from those who essay the task of 
garden making. 



APPENDIX 



APPENDIX 

ROSES 



SPACING FOR ROSE PLANTS 



Standards 3 feet 

Pillars 3 " 

Bushes i| to 2 " 

Roses may be planted from October to March when 
the weather is open 

ROSE CLASSES 



CLASS 


TYPE 


Hybrid Perpetual 


Louis van Houtte 


Hybrid Tea 


La France 


Hybrid China 


Fulgens 


Tea 


Gloire de Dijon 


Noisette 


Celine Forestier 


Bourbon 


Souvenir de la Malmaison 


China 


Old Crimson Monthly 


Polyantha 


Gloire des Polyanthas 


Brier 


Penzance Seedlings 


Provence 


Moss 


Damask. 


York and Lancaster 


Ayrshire 


The Garland 


Sempervirens 


Felicit Perpetue 


Boursault 


Amadis 


Alba 


Celestial 


Gallica 


Blanchfleur 


Wichuraiana 


Dorothy Perkms 


Banksia 


Lutea 



343 



344 



GARDEN PLANNING 
ROSE SPECIES 



BOTANICAL NAME 


COLOUR 


NURSERY NAME 


Rosa alpina 


Rose 


Alpine Rose 


altaica 


Lemon white 




Andersoni 


Rose pink 




berberifolia 


Yellow 


Yellow Persian 


blanda 


Salmon pink 




bracteaia 


White 


Macartney Rose 


LameLlia 


W nite 




canina 


Blush 


Dog Rose 


cinjiamonea 


Rose pink 


Cinnamon Rose 


Lawrenceana 


Red 


Fairy Rose 


Iczvigata 


White 


Cherokee Rose 


lucida 


rmk 


T • J _ 

Lucida 


luUa 


Yellow 


Austrian Brier 


moschata 


White 


Ivlusk Rose 


muhiflora 


White 


Polyantha Simplex 


pimpinellifolia 


Pink 


Scotch Burnet Rose 


Pissardi 


White or pink 




polyantha 


White 


Bramble Rose 


rubrifolia 


Pale rose 


Prairie Rose 


Tugosa 


Blush 


Apple Rose 


setigera 


Pink 


Prairie Rose 


spinosissima 


White 


Scotch Rose 


xanthina 


Lemon yellow 





ROSES FOR TOWN GARDENS 



The following roses will thrive under unfavourable 
conditions of atmosphere and soil, such as are found in 
town and suburban gardens: 



Hybrid Perpetuals 
A. K. Williams 
Anna Alexieff 
Baroness Rothschild 
Clio 

Dupuy Jamain 
Duke of Edinburgh 
Gen. Jacqueminot 



Teas and Hybrid T^as 
Camoens 
Captain Christy 
Enchantress 
Gloire de Dijon 
Grace Darling 
Gruss au Teplitz 
La France 



ROSES 



345 



Hybrid Perpetuals 
Jules Margottin 
Louis van Houtte 
Mme. Victor Verdier 
Magna Charta 
Mrs. J. Laing 
IMerv-eille de Lyon 
Prince Camille de Rohan 
Ulrich Brunner 



Teas and Hybrid Teas 
Madame Alfred Carriere 
Madame Lambard 
Maman Cochet 
Marie van Houtte 
Reine Olga de Wurtembur^ 
Viscountess Folkestone 
Waltham Climber 



Noisettes {For the South and Southzvest) 
Aimee Vibert Celine Forestier 

Fellenburgh 

Also many of the Polyantha and Hybrid China Roses 
will stand town life. 

Moss Roses and Sweetbriers are not satisfactory, 
because their foliage collects soot from the atmosphere. 



ROSES FOR ARCHES AND PERGOLAS 



NAME 


COLOUR 


Aimee Vibert 


White 


Aglaia 


Yellow 


Ard's Rover 


Crimson and maroon 


Bennett's Seedling 


White 


Carmine Pillar 


Bright crimson 


Crimson Rambler 


Crimson 


Dorothy Perkins 


Bright pink 


Dundee Rambler 


Pink (white-eyed) 


Euphrosyne 


Rose 


Felicite Perpetue 


Cream 


Flora 


Pink 


Gloire de Dijon 


Buff 


Gracilis 


Rosy red 


Jersey Beauty 


Yellow 


Leuchtstern 


Pink (white-eyed) 


IMacrantha 


Flesh 


Madame Alfred Carriere 


Cream 


Perle des Nieges 


Pure white 


Rampante 


Pure white 



34^ GARDEN PLANNING 



ROSES FOR ARCHES AND PERGOLAS — Continued 



NAME 


COLOUR 


Reine Olga de Wurtemburg 


Rose 


The Garland 


Nankeen and pink 


Reine Marie Henriette 


Carmine 


Waltham Rambler 


Pink (pale centre) 


W. A. Richardson 


Coppery orange 


All the Wichuraiana hybrids 


Various; deep pink to white 




and cream 



ROSES BY COLOUR 



In planting for colour effect the following table will 
prove useful to the gardener. These roses are all Hybrid 
Perpetuals, Teas, Hybrid Teas, or Noisettes: 



Deep Red, approaching Black 

Abel Carriere 

Dr. Hogg 

Emperor 

Jean Liabaud 

Sultan of Zanzibar 

Xavier Olibo 

Deep Crimson 
Baron de Bonstettin 
Betty Berkeley 
Eugene Fiirst 
Louis van Houtte 
Reynolds Hole 
Sir Rowland Hill 



Light Crimson 
Beauty of Waltham 
Captain Hayward 
Countess of Rosebery 



Full Red 
Baron Haussmann 
Duke of Fife 
Liberty 

Roisieriste Jacobs 
Souvenir d'Angers 

Crimson 
A. K. Williams 
Bardou Job 
Camille Bernardin 
Duke of Albany 
Glory of Waltham 
Horace Vernet 
John Bright 
Prince Arthur 
Victor Hugo 

Rose 

Alpaide de Rotalier 

Camoens 

Charles Dickens 



ROSES 



347 



Light Crimson 
Duchess of Bedford 
Etienne Dupuy 
Gruss au Teplitz 
Pride of Reigate 

Pink (Salmon) 
Aurora 

Captain Christy 
Caroline Testout 
Clara Watson 
Ernest Metz 
Ethel Brownlow 
Madame I^dmee Metz 
Maman Cochet 
P-ide of Waltham 



White 
Baronne de Meynard 
Boule de Niege 
Coquette des Blanches 
Frau Karl Druschki 
Gardenia 

Madame Lacharme 
Niphetos 

Souvenir de S. A. Prince 

Lemon 
Beaute Lyonnaise 
Caroline Kuster 
Celine Forestier 
Cloth of Gold 
Duchess of Portland 
Etoile de Lyon 
Medea 

Marechal Niel 



Rose 

uchesse de Morny 
Jeannie Dickson 
Marie Verdier 
Madame Berard 
Madame Lambard 

Pink (Pale) 
Baroness R.othschild 
Duchess of Fife 
Killarney 
La France 

Madame Gabriel Luizet 
Mrs. Cocker 
Mrs. John Laing 
Madame Camille 
Madame Paul Gruetz 
Mrs. Alfred Byass 
Pink Rover 
Viscountess Folkestone 

Ivory 
Alice Graham 
Alice Lindsell 
Bessie Brown 
White Lady 
Gloire de Lyonnaise 
Marie Ducher 
Mrs. David McKee 

Buff 
Abricote 
Gloire de Dijon 
Madame Falcot 
Safrano 



348 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Orange 

Beaute Inconstante Ma Capucine 

Lady Roberts Souvenir de Pierre Notting 

W. A. Richardson 

ROSE HEDGES 

The common Sweetbrier and the Penzance Hybrids 
make excellent hedges as shelter for rose beds, and are 
proof against exposure. 

Charming hedges also may be made of the Multiflora, 
Ayrshire, Sempervirens, Scotch and Wichuraiana roses, 
which in all cases should be on their own roots. 

Some of the Hybrid Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals are 
also quite suitable, when on brier or on their own roots. 

HARDY PERENNIALS BY COLOURS 

In the planting of herbaceous borders the best effects 
are only to be obtained by a careful study of colour and 
succession. The following list embraces a selection of 
the best hardy perennials for colour effect, and their 
season of flowering has been added to assist the gardener 
in arranging them for succession. The column giving 
heights will suggest the best position in the border in 
relation to its width. 



CRIMSON 



AVERAGE 
HEIGHT IN 
FEET 


NAME 


SEASON 


I 


Ado7iis autumnalis 


May to July 


I 


Mthionema grmidiflorum 


May to August 


I2- 


Agrostemma {Lychnis) Flos- 






Jovis 


June and July 


3 


Anemone Japonica 


September to November 


2 


Antirrhinum 


June to October 


I 


Armeria latifolia 


April to June 



HARDY PERENNIALS BY COLOURS 349 



CRIMSON — Continued 



AVERAGE 






HEIGHT IN 


NAME 


SEASON 










AstcT, ^^rs. Rayne" 


SeptembertoNovember 


r 


'pT(SCQX 


August to November 


C 
-> 


Tuhfci 


August to October 


i 
4 


Auhrigtia. deltoide s var. J^eichtlini 


April to June 


A 

4 


SoltOnXd IdilSQUUTTlCl 


July to October 


* 2 


Carnation 


June to September 


* 2 


CcntuuTed dealhatu 


Summer 




TYiontdTici var, Toscd 


Early Summer 


* 3 


Cyunus 


August to October 


2^ 
^2 


Centfcmthus ruber 


June to August 


^ 2 


Chrysanthemum 


August to November 


I 


CyclcLtnen Coum 


January to March 


I 


Diunthus superhus 


Summer 


2 


DicsntrcL spectcihilxs 


IVIarch to August 


/I 


Epilobium cingustifolium 


June to August 


■J 
i 


Gaillardia 


June to November 


i 
2 


Helianthemum 


May to August 


4 


Lychnis Chulccdomcd 


Early Summer 




vtsccirtdy var. splcndcns 


M^ay to July 


* 2 


Ononis rotundifolid 


Tuly 


•7 
J 


Pseony 


Summer 


• 2 


Pentstsmon bdrhdtus 


June and July 


2 


Phlox (herbaceous) 


April to September 


I 


Pink 


Summer 


2 


Polygonum dffine 


August to October 


2 


dttiplc xic dulc 


September and October 


2 


Pot€7itilld Thuhcrt 


Summer 


1 


Primrose 


Anarch to M^ay 


2 


Prtmuld J dponxcd 




3 


Pyrethrum roseum 


June to August 


i4 
3i 


Rudbeckid clegdns, var. roscd 


July to September 




Sdlvid Grdhdmi 


July to September 


i 


Sdpondrid ocymoides 


May to August 




Senecio pulcher 


July to September 


I 


Sidchys Betonicd 


June to August 


I 


Stdtice Tdtdricd 


August and September 


1 
4 


Thymus Serpyllum var. coccineus 


June to August 


3i 


Ulmdrid pdlmdtd 


July and August 



350 



GARDEN PLANNING 



PIXK 



AVEICAGE 






HEIGHT IN 


AME 


S E \S ON" 










Anemone Japonica 




I to 5 


Aster, various 




^ 2 


Astilbe Chinensis 


JUl^ CtliV_l - i u g U o L 


A 

3 


Be His perennis 


April to July 


•I 2 


Carnation 






Chrysanthemum 






Coronilla varia 




i 
2 


Dianthus plumarius 


Alay to July 


I^ 
i 2 


Erigero7i steciosus 


\T;5V tCi Ortnhpr 


2 


Heuch^ra sanguinea 


Alay to October 


2 


Lvchfiis alpina 


April to June 


i 2 


Flos-cuculi, var. plenissiynci 


Tnnp tct ^pntpmVipr 


2i 


CEnothera speciosa 


August to October 


li 


Ono7iis rotundifolia 


July 


3 


Pseony 


Summer 


2 


Phlox (herbaceous) 


April to September 




amcena 


May 


1 


suhulata 


April and Alay 


3 


Pyrethrum 


June to September 




Sedum spectahile 


August and September 


4 


Valeriana o^cinalis 


Spring 


SCARLET 




Jntholyza Crenonia 


July to September 




Carnation 


June to September 


3 


Delphinium cardinale 


July and August 


3 


Gaillardia 


June to November 


I 


Geum Chiloense, var. miniatum 


May and June 


l| 


Heuchera sanguinea, var. splen- 






dens 


June to October 


3 


Lobelia cardtnalts 


August and September 


3 


Lychnis Chalcedonica 


June and July 


2 


Mimulus cardinalis 


June to September 


2i 


Monarda didyma 


June to September 


3 


Papaver orientale 


May to August 


2 


Phlox (herbaceous) 


April to September 



HARDY PERENNIALS BY COLOURS 35I 



ORANGE 



AVERAGE 
HEIGHT IN 
FEET 


1 

NAME 


SEASON 


li 


Cheiranthus Cheiri 


May- 


3 


Gaillardia 


June to November 


2 


Geum rivale 


May and June 


1 


montanum 


May and June 




Glaucium Fischeri 


July 




Helevium Hoopesii 


May and June 




Helianthemum amabile 


June 


\ 


vulgare var. Fireball 


May to August 


4 


Heliopsis Icevis 


July to October 


3 


Hemerocalhs aurantiaca 


June and July 


I 


Hieracium. aurantiacum 


June to October 


3 


Hypericum aureum 


August and September 


2 


Inula grandi flora 


June 


2 


glandulosa 


July and August 


4 


Kniphofia 


September and October 


I 


Mimulus glutinosus 


May to August 


I 


Papaver nudicaule, var. min- 






iatum 


April to July — August 






to October 




Rudbeckia species a 


July 


I 


Trollius Asiaticus 


April and May — Aug 






and September 



YELLOW 



3 

4 


Achillea tomentosa 


May to September 


4 


Aconitum Lycoctonum 


July to September 




Actinomeris squarrosa 


July to September 




Alyssum ar gentium 


June and July 


\ 


montanum 


May to July 


I 


saxatile 


April to June 


'\ 


speciosum 


May to July 


i\ 


Anthemis tinctoria 


May to October 


2 


Aquilegia 


May and June 


I 


Artemisia 


August to November 


3 


Asphodeline lutea 


June to August 


2 


Berberis vulgaris 


May and June 



352 GARDEN PLANNING 



YELLOW — Continued 



AVERAGE 






HEIGHT 


IN 


NAME 


SEASON 


FEET 












Buhpthdltn u tn salicifoli wni 


June to August 




I 2 




Carnation 


June to September 




5 




CeyituuTcu Buhyloyiicci 


July 




4 




TnucTocephald 






S 




C^phnluTiu dlpinci 


Innp 1"o Ancrnci" 




I 2 




Cli 61 ran thus 


\l3,rch to August 








ChclldoTllUTH VIG'^US 


snd June 




22 




ChrvsantliGmum 


Ancn^l" 1"ri ^rii'pmnpr 




2 




CoTeopsts ^Tund-iJloTu 


June X.O SeptemtDcr 








CoTvdulxs luteu 


April to September 










Tulv 




I 2 




Doronicum 


^Ia.y to July 




1 
2 






^Nlsy 3.nd June 








ETySl77lU7Ti OchTolcUCUTtl 


"Vpnl to June 




tI 
II 




(jTiJid^lid pdicyis 


A-Utumn 




5 




HclcmtiTn dtctumndle 


August and September 




1? 




p U 771 llu7K 


June to October 


1 

J 


to 


_ 

/ 


Hclianthus (various) 


Aug'ust to ISovember 




/: 
o 




liquid H€l€Hl^^77t 


July to September 


I 


to 


3 


Iris (various) 


April to July 




I 




Ll7llC7Tl dThoT€U7yi 


Al3,y and June 




I 




AIi7nu!ns luteus 


June to September 




If 




CE fioth^Td friittcosd 


Tiinp fr\ AncriiQl' 

J UiiC L\J /lUgUoL 








Pansy 


April to October 




2 




Rdnio'xulus dcris 


May to September 




4 




Rudbeckid Cdlifornicd 


August and September 




5 




ldci7iidid 


July to September 




3l 




Scabiosd luted 


July to September 


2 


to 


6 


Solidago (various) 


August to October 


I 


to 




Trollius (various) 


May to July 


2 


to 


6 


\"erbascum (various) 


June to September 








\'ioIa 


April to October 


WHITE 




2 




Achilled Ptdrmicd, The Pearl 


June to October 




S 




J CO 71 it u m Ndpellus 


July and August 








Alyssum AIdriti77ium 


Vlarch to July 



HARDY 



PERENNIALS BY COLOURS 
WHITE — Continued 



353 



AVERAGE 






HEIGHT IN 


NAME 


SEASON 


FEET 






3 


Ammone Japonica, var. ^z/^a 


September and October 


3 


Antirrhinum 


July to September 


2 


Aquilegia 


Alay and June 




Arabis alpina 


April to June 


2 


Asphodeliis albus 


June and July 


2 to 6 


Aster (various) 


August to November 


J 


Bellis perennis 


April to July 


1 to 6 


Campanula (various) 


June to September 


2 


Carnation (various) 


June to September 


2 


Centaurea montana, var. alba 


May to July 


2| 


Centranthus ruber var. albus 


June and July 


2? 


Chrysanthemum 


August to November 


4 


Cimicifuga racemosa 


July and August 


1 


Erinus alpinus, var. albus 


May to July 


2 


Geranium pratense var. album 


June to September 


2 


Gillenta siipulacea 


June to August 


I 


Iberis sempervirens 


May and June 


I to 3 


Iris (various) 


April to July 


5 


Lupinus polyphyllus, var. albus 


June and July 


2 


Malva moschata 


June to September 


I 


Myosotis alpestris, var. albus 


May to July 


3 


Pseony 


Summer 


1 


Pansy 


April to October 


I 


Papaver nudicaule 


April to July — August 






to October 


2 


Phlox (herbaceous) 


April to September 


4 


Polygonum Sieboldi 


July 




Primrose 


March to May 


3 
4 


Prunella vulgaris 


June to September 


4 


Pyrethrum uligiyiosum 


August and September 


3 


Sidalcea Candida 


June 




Silene alpestris 


May to July 


5 


Spiraa Aruncus 


June and July 




Tradescantia Firginica, var. 






alba 


May to August 




Veronica longifolia, var. alba 


June to August 


I 


spicata var. alba 


June and July 




Viola 


April to October ; 



354 GARDEN PLANNING 



GREEN 



AVERAGE 






HEIGHT IN 


NAME 


SEASON 


FEET 






I 


Alchemilla alpina 


June and July 




Helleborus orientalis 


March and April 


3 


Polygonatum multifiorum 


May and June 


8 


Polygonum Sachalinense 


August to October 


BLUE 




Aconitum Napellus 


July and August 




Ajuga Genevensis 


IMay 




Anchusia I talk a 


June to August 


I 


Anemone {Hepatic a) angulosa 


April and May 


2 


Aquilegia 


May and June 


2 to 5 


Aster (various) 


August to November 


2 


Centaurea montana 


June to September 




Delphinium (various) 


July and August 




Echinops Ritro 


July and August 




Eryngium amethystinum 


June to September 




Geranium Ibericum 


June to September 


I to 3 


Iris (various) 


April to July 


2 


Lithospermum prostraium 


May to July 


5 


Lupinus polyphyllus 


June and July 




Myosotis dissitiflora 


April to July 




sylvatica, var. alpestris 


May and June 




Omphalodes verna 


April and May 


2 


Polemonium cceruleum 


May to July 




Primrose 


March to May 


3 


Salvia azure a 


August and September 


2 


patens 


July to September 




Veronica amethystina 


May to July 


3 
4 


incana 


June and July 


I 


prostrata 


May to August 


MAUVE 


I 


Arahis muralis 


March to September 


2 to 6 


Aster (various) 


August to November 


1 

4 


Aubrietia deltoidea 


April to June 


i to 4 


Campanula (various) 


June to September 



HARDY PERRENIALS BY COLOURS 355 



MAUVE — Continued 



AVERAGE 






HEIGHT IN 


NAME 


SEASON 


FEET 






2 


\^3.rnation [vsriousy 


June to oeptember 




Centuureci montunci 


September 


2 


EtigsTon speciosus 


June and July 


X 

3 


Etxtius ulpiHus 


AyToir tr\ Tnlir 

iviay Lo jxxiy 


2 


GeTuniuTn collinum 


May to July 


22 


pratense, var. lilacinu 


June to September 




Ihetis GxhrultuTXCd 


A'lay and June 


1 to 


Ins (various) 


April to July 




Pansy 


April to October 




Papaver (various) 


May and June 


2 


Phlox (herbaceous) 


April to September 


1 


subulata. Fairy 


April and May 




frondosa 


April and May 


1 


Primula acaulis, var. Crousii 


April and May 


2 


Saponaria officinalis 


July to September 


I 


St at ice speciosa 


July and August 




Viola 


April to October 


VIOLET 


3 


Anemone Pulsatilla 


April to June 


2 


Aquilegia 


May and June 


I to 4 


Aster (various) 


August to November 


1 
4 


Aubrietia deltoidea 


April to June 




Campanula glomerata 


June to August 




rhomboidalis 


June and July 




Erinus alpinus 


April to June 


2 


Eryngium alpinum 


July and August 


2| 


Geranium pratense 


June to September 


I to 3 


Iris (various) 


April to July 


2| 


Liatris scariosa 


August and September 




Pansy 


April to October 


I 


Pentstemon procerus 


July 


3 
4 


Primula capitata 


May and June 




Stachys grandiflora 


June and July 


2 


Veronica longifolia, var. sub- 






sessilis 


August and September 


1 


Violet 


Spring 



35^ GARDEN PLANNING 



PURPLE 



AVERAGE 






HEIGHT IN 


NAM E 


SEASON 


FEET 






4 


Asclepias Cornuti 


June and July 


I to 5 


Aster (various) 


August to November 


2 


Centaurea splendens 


June to September 


I 


Dianthus plutnarius 


June to September 


I 


Dicentra eximea 


June and July 


I 


Erigeron glaucus 


May and June 


l| 


Erodium Manescavi 


June and July 




Eupatorium purpureum 


July to September 




Geranium Ibericum 


June to September 


I to 3 


Ins 


April to July 




Lamium maculatum 


May to July 


4 


Liatris pycnostachya 


August and September 


3 


Lobelia Gerardi 


July to October 


1 

2 


Pansy (various) 


April to October 


3 


Pentstemon barbatus 


June to August 




diffusus 


June and July 


3 
4 


Prunella Webhiana 


June to September 


2^ 


Salvia pratensis 


June and July 



PERENNIALS 



357 



t: o 



3 



.1 



9- ^ 



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<^ P > s 



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cj cj Q Q Q Q 



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^ :^ o -ex 



<3 s ^ -j: 



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S "-i v> 



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g 53 O g s 



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2 o 



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— ' 1— I <u 
M ^ Oh 



f-4 KJl 



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o 
-5 ^ 



GARDEN PLANNING 



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K " 



TTt 

^ 60 ti 



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3 w 2 « 

S at o 5^ dc ^ 

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O 14- "S c 
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g ^ S 8-5 I 

O M-H _ "fe 

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CO <u 1, 
r ^ 

— . ^ 

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^ OS 60 I- •„ 

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HARDY BOG OR MARSH PLANTS 359 



HARDY BOG OR MARSH PLANTS 

These will thrive in wet soil by the side of ponds and 
streams. 

Achillea (Yarrow) 
Acornus Calamus (Sweet flag) 
Arundo Donax (Giant reed) 
Butomus umhellatus (Flowering rush) 
Calla palustris 

Caltha ■palustris and flore-pleno (Marsh marigold) 

Cyperus strigosus 

Epilobium (Willow herb) 

Equisetum hyemale (Horse-tail rush) 

Eupatorium purpureum (Joe-pye weed) 

Ferula communis (Giant fennel) 

Galega officinalis (Goat's rue) 

Habenaria fimhriata (Purple-fringed orchis) 

psycodes (Smaller purple-fringed orchis) 
Hemerocallis (Day lily) 
Iris IcBvigata (Japanese iris) 

Pseudacorus (Yellow water flag) 

versicolor (Larger blue flag) 
Lathyrus palustris (Marsh pea) 
Lilium Canadense (Wild yellow lily) 

superbum (American Turk's cap lily) 
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower) 

syphiletica and var. alba 
Lythrum salicaria (Purple loose strife) 

var. roseum superbum (Pink loose-strife) 
Menyanthes trifoliata (Buck bean) 
Mimulus ringens (Square-stemmed monkey flower) 
Miscanthus Sinensis (Eulalia) 

Myosotis palustris var. semperflorens (Ever-flowering 

forget-me-not) 
Osmunda regalis (Flowering fern) 
Panicularia Americana (Red meadow-grass) 

nervata (Nerved manna grass) 
Parnassia Caroliniana (Grass of Parnassus) 
Polygonum Sieboldi 
Pontederia cordata (Pickerel weed) 



36o 



GARDEN PLANNING 



HARDY BOG OR MARSH FLANTS— Continued 

Primula Japonica 

Rhexia Virginica (Meadow beauty) 

Rodgersia podophylla 

Sagittaria latifolia (Common arrow-head) 

Sarracenia Drummondii (Great trumpet leaf) 

purpurea (Pitcher plant) 
Saxifraga Pennsylvanica (Swamp saxifrage) 
Senecis Japonicus (Japanese groundsel) 
Silphium laciniatum (Compass plant) 

perfoliatum (Cup plant) 
Spircea Aruncus (Goat's beard) 

palmata (Palmate-leaved meadow sweet) 
Tradescantia Virginiana (Spiderwort) 
TroUius (Globe flower) 

Zygadenus venenosus (Poisonous zygadenus) 

AQUATIC OR WATER PLANTS 

Acornus gramineus var. variegatus (Striped sweet flag) 
Alisma Plantago (Water plantain) 
Aponogetum distachyum (Cape pond weed) 
Brasenia peltata (Water shield) 

Caltha paliistris var. flore-pleno (Double marsh marigold) 
Iris (Thrives both in bogs and shallow water) 
Lymnanthemum nymphoides (Fringed buckbean) 
Nelumhium luteum (American lotus) 

speciosum (Indian lotus) 

var. album (Magnolia lotus) 
Nuphar advena (Common spatter dock) 

Kalmianum (Small yellow pond lily) 

luteum (European yellow lily) 
Nymphcea alba (White water lily) 

var. candidissima (Purest pond lily) 
(Fourteen other species of Nymphsea are good aquatics) 
Orontium aquaticum (Golden club) 
Peltandra Virginica (Arrow arum) 
Pontederia cordata (Pickerel weed) 

Sagittaria sagittczfolia var. flora-pleno (Old world arrow- 
head) 



AQUATIC OR WATER PLANTS 36 1 



AQUATIC OR WATER PLANTS— Continued 
Scirpus lacustris, var. zebrina (Great bulrush) 
Typha latifolia (Broad-leaved cat-tail) 
Zizania aquatica (Wild rice) 

PLANTS WITH WHITE, GRAY, OR GLAUCOUS FOLIAGR 



FOLIAGE 


NAME 


COLOUR OF 
FLOVl'ER 


HEIGHT 
IN FEET 


Silvery 


Achillea jEgyptica 


rale Yellow 


2 




LlavenncB 


White 


3 

H. 




Siberica 




2 




umbellata 


« 


h 




Alyssum argentium 


I ellow 


I 




Aniennaria dioica, var. tom- 








entosa 


Wnite 


1 

8 




Artemisia Absinthium 


Yellow 


ih 




vulgaris 




r 1 


Gray 


Aubrietia 


Various / 


k 




Bocconia cordata 


rSuit 


7 


Silvery 


Centaurea Babylonica 


Yellow 


7 




Cerastium Biebersteinii 


Wnite 






Cineraria maritima 


X ellow 


2 


Glaucous 


Uianthus (rinks ana Carna- 








tions) 


• 

Various 






Echinops Ritro 


JtSlue 


3 




Elymus arenarius (Grass) 




3§ 




Lryngium ULtverianum 


rJlue 


^ 1 

3? 




Festuca glauca (Grass) 




1 
? 


Woolly 


Helichrysum grandifiorum 


y ellow 


^ 1 

32 


White 


Heuchera hispida 


White and rurple 


3 




pubescens 


Reddish Yellow 


J 


Silvery gray 


Marrubium candidissimum 


White 


I 


Silvery 


Onopordon Acanthium 


Purple 


6 




Othonna cheirifolia 


Yellow 


I 


Gray 


Phlomis Russelliana 




3 


Silvery 


Santolina chamcecyparissus 


« 






Saxifraga 


Various 




Glaucous 


Sedum Ewersii 


Rose 


1 

I 




glaucum 


Pink 


\ 




spectabile 


(( 


2 


Silvery 


Stachys lanata 


Rosy Mauve 




Gray 


Verbascum 


Yellow 


6 


Silvery 


Veronica incana 


Purple 


h 



362 



GARDEN PLANNING 



HARDY BULBS, CORMS, AND TUBERS 

Whether for planting in formal beds, or for effect 
in the grass or wilder parts of the garden, bulbs are in- 
valuable to the gardener. The following selection in-, 
eludes all that is best for these purposes. Those marked 
A will thrive in shade or partial shade, or in full sun. 
Those marked B must only be grown in shade. Those 
marked R are suitable for the rock garden. Those 
unmarked require full sun. 



HARDY BULBS CORJVIS AND TUBERS 363 



62 



< < < < CQ 



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< 



2 
o 

4; « ^ ^ 

w *j o o 



._ <^ I- cTi rt^ ij^^ «J w rt — .^C" 3~ 0_ 



.2 a ".2 



9j t) y u 



^ '^r'^ 3 ^ — r1 v5 3 5 3 5 a 



<3 « I 

.is s 

•n :5 5 s 
^^^^^ 



-§ 3 

c .y 
c 



364 GARDEN PLANNING 









-< < CQ M < < < < < w§< M^c^; 


sa. 








NO! 






Winter aconite 

Dog-tooth violet 

Crown Imperial 
Snowdrop 

Madonna lily 
Scarlet Martagon li 








li , 


.OUR 








COl 


Pink 


.S .1 0 .2 I J _^ ^ I ^11 ^ _^ S ^ lil^S^l^ 

i_ Ui *, *^ Ui w Ui * ^ Ui — I u- ^ ' ^ * ^ * ^ ^ frj 'p^ <-< rt 


Q 








PERK 






S 

. ^ P c ^ 


FLOWERING 


Late summei 

Spring 

Summer 

Spring 

Spring 

Spring 

Spring 

Spring 

Spring 

Summer 

May to Sept 

Early summ< 

Spring 

Spring and 6 
May and Ju 
Early summe 
Spring 
Aug. — Sept. 
July 

Early summ< 
Late summei 
Summer 
Summer 
Early summ( 
June — July 


NAME 


Crinum longifoliwm 


Crocus 
Dahlia 

Eranthis hyemalis 
Eremurus Himalaicus 
Erythronium Dens-Canis 
Fritillaria Meleagris 

Imperiaiis 
Galanthus 
Galtonia candicans 
Gladiolus 

// yacinthus amethystinus 

y I y ci^iii Lii 

Iris (various) 
Ixoilirion Montarium 
Leucojum cestivum 

vernum 
Lilium auratum 

Browni 

hulbiferum 

Canadense 

candidum 

Chalcedonicum 

concolor 

elegans 



HARDY BULBS, CORMS, AND TUBERS 365 



NOTES 


B 

St. Joseph's lily • A 

A 

A 

Swamp lily B 
Nankeen lily 

Tiger lily A 

vjiujJC i I y dk^i Ji Lii J.X 

Daffodils A 
Star of Bethlehem A 
Lebanon squill R 
Squill A 
Best on limestone soil 

Wood lily BR 

A 


COLOUR 


White 
Yellow 
Yellow 

White or pink 

White 

Purple 

Yellow 

Yellow 

Crimson 

Scarlet 

Rose or white 
Orange red 
Apricot 
Deep orange 
Yellow or orange 
Blue 

Yellow to white 
White 

White and blue 
Blue principally 
Yellow 
Scarlet 

White or purple 

White 

Various 


FLOWERING PERIOD 


July— Aug. 
June 
July 
July 

June— July 

July 

Summer 

July 

August 

June 

Summer and autumn 

Late summer 

June and July 

Aug. — Sept. 

August 

March — May 

Spring 

Spring 

April 

Early spring 
Autumn 
July — Sept. 
Spring 
April 

Spring and summer 


NAME 


Lilium giganteum 

Hansoni 

Humboldtii 

Japonicum 

longiflorum 

Martagon 

monadt'lphum 

Parryi 

pardalinum 

pomponium 

speciosum 

superbum 

testaceum 

tignnum 
Montbretia 
Muscari 

Narcissus (various) 
Ornithogalum 
Puschkinia scilloides 
Scilla (various) 
Sternbergia 
Tigridia Pavonia 
Trillium 

Triteleia uniflora 
Tulip (various) 



366 



CARD EX PLAXXIXG 



PLANTS VALUED FOR THEIR FOLL\GE 
The asterisk (*) indicates a plant needing protection in the vrinter. 
The colour given is that of the flowers. 



KAME 


HEIGHT 


SITUATION" 


COLOUR 


Acanthus mollis, var. laiifolius 


4 ft. 


Sun 


Purple 


jEgopodium podograria var. 






Cream- 
vrhite 


variegatum 


12-15 in. 


Sun 


Aira carulea var. variegata 


1-2* ft. 


Sun 


Purple 


Arcdia Cachemjrica 


5-8 ft. 


Half-shade 


White 


cord-ata 


4-6 ft 


Half-shade 


White 


racemosa 


5-4 ft. 


Sun 


Greenish 
white 


Arrhenatherum bulbosum, var. 








variegatum 


6-8 in. 


Sun 


Green 


Artemisia Ahrotanum 


3-5ft. 


Sun 


White 


Ludoviciana 


2 ft. 


Sun 


Whitish 


Pontic a 


I ft. 


Sun 


Yellowish 


Stelleriana 


2 ft. 


Sun 


Yellow 


Arundinaria Japonica 


6-10 ft. 


Half-shade* 


Green 


Simoni 


10-20 ft. 


Sun* 


Green 


Arundo Donax 


10 ft. 


Sun 


Reddish 


Beta Cicla 


1-2 ft. 


Sun (A) 




Bocconia microcarpa 


9 ft. 


Sun 


Bronze 


Caladium bicolor 


1-2 ft. 


Sun* 




Canna nigricans 


4-^ ft. 


Sun* 


Red 


Cannabis sativa 


S-12 ft. 


Sun CA) 




Carlina acaulis 


4-S in. 


Sun 


White 


Car ex Morrowi 


10-12 in. 


Sun 




tenaria 


18-50 in. 


Sun 




Dactylis glomerata, var. varie- 








gata 


ji_2 ft. 


Sun 


Cjreen 


Elymus arenarius 


2-5 ft! 


Sun 


Green 


Erianthus Ravenncz 


4-7 ft. 


Sun 


Greenish 


Eulalia {Miscaiithus) Sinensis 


4-^ ft. 


Sun 




Ferula communis 




Sun 


' Yellow 


Festuca glauca 


18-20 in. 


Sun or half- 
shade 




Funkia subcordata 


12-20 in. 


Half-shade 


White 


Gunrura manicata 


;-S ft 


Sun* 


Green 


Gynerium argenteum 


3-6 ft. 


Sun* 





PLANTS VALUED FOR THEIR FOLIAGE 367 



NAME 


HEIGHT 


SITUATION 


COLOUR 


Heracleum villosum 


8-10 ft. 


Sun 


White 


Phalaris arundinacea 








var. variegata 


2-4 ft. 


Sun 


White 


Phyllostachys aurea 


10-15 ft. 


Half-shade* 


Brownish 


nigra 


10-20 ft. 


Half-shade* 




ruscifolia 


1 4-2 ft. 


Half-shade* 


Green 


viridi-gl aucescens 


10-18 ft. 


Half-shade* 


Green 


Rheum officinale 


5-6 ft. 


Sun 


Greenish 








white 


Palmatum 


6-8 ft. 


Sun 


Greenish 








white 


Ricinus communis 


3-10 ft. 


Sun (A) 




Rodgersia podophylla 


3-4 ft. 


Sun 


White 


Rohdea Japonica, var. varie- 








gata 


9-12 in. 


Half-shade 


White 


Santolina chamacyparissus 


\\-2 ft. 


Sun* 


Yellow 


Scirpus Holoschoenus, var. varie- 








gatus 


i-i^ ft. 


Sun 


Brown 


Senecio Japonicus 


4-8 ft 


Sun 


Orange 


Stipa pennata 


20 in. 


Sun 


Green 


Symphytum officinale, var. 








variegatum 


3-4 ft. 


Sun or 








half-shade 


Various 


Tripsacum dactyloides 


4-7 ft. 


Sun* 


Green 


Tussilago Farfara 




Sun 


Yellow 


Xanthorrhiza apiifolia 


1-2 ft. 


Shade 


Purple 


Yucca filamentosa 


1-3 ft. 


Sun 


White 


PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN 




HEIGHT 






NAME 


IN 


FLOWERING 


COLOUR 




INCHES 


PERIOD 




Acana microphylla 


3 


June — Aug. 


Incon- 








spicuous 


nermis 








Acantholimon glumaceum 


6 


July — Sept. 


Rose 



368 GARDEN PLANNING 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN— Continued 





HEIGHT 


FLOWERING 
PERIOD 




NAME 




COLOUR 




IXCHES 




Achillea Herba-rota 


6 


May— July 


White 


rupestris 








tomejitosa 


9 


June 


Yellow 


Actinella grandiflora 


6-12 


Summer 


Yellow 


Aconitum Lycactonum 


20-36 


June — Sept. 


Yellow 


Adonis vernalis 


12 


April 


Yellow 


Aethionema grandiflorum 


12-18 


Summer 


Pink 


Ajuga Geiuvensis 


^12 


Tvlay 


Blue 


reptans, var. rubra 


6 


May — July ■ 


Blue 


Alyssum argenteum 


15 


Summer 


Yellow 


sax utile 


12 


April — ^May 


Yellow 


serpyllifolium 


4 


Summer 


Yellow 


Androsace lanuginosa 


6-10 


April— May 


Purple, 
yellow eye 


sarmentosa 


4 


^lay— July 


Pink, 
white eye 


Anemone nemorosa 


3-8 


April 


White 


sylvestris 


12-18 


May— July 


White 


Anterunaria dioica 


2-12 


June 


Rose 


Anthemis nobilis 


6 


July— Oct. 


White 


Anthericum Liliastrum 




April — July 


White 


Aquilegia Caiiadensis 


12-24 


May— July 


Red 


ctzrulea 


12-18 


April — July 


Whitish 
blue 


chrysantha 


3^ 


May — Aug. 


Yellow 


vulgaris 


18-24 


June — Aug. 


Violet 


Arabis albida 


6 


April — June 


White 


Arenaria montana 


5 




White 


verna 


1-3 




White 


Armeria alpina 


2-12 


April — June 


Rose 


Asclcpias tuberosa 


24-30 


August 


Orange 


Asperula odorata 


6-8 


May — July 


White 


Aster acris 


24-30 


Aug — Oct. 


Lilac 


alpinus 


3-10 


June 


Purple 


Astragalus alpinus 


6-15 




Molet 


Astratia major 


18 


June 


Pinkish 


Auhretia deltoidea (varieties) 


2-12 


Spring 


Molet 


Bsllis perennis 


3-6 


April— June 


White, 
yellow 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN 369 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN—Continued 



NAME 


HEIGHT 

IN 

INCHES 



FLOWERING 
PERIOD 


COLOUR 


Bryanthus empetriformis 


5-8 




Rosy 








purple 


Calandrina umhellata 


4-6 


June — Nov. 


Crimson 


Callirrhoe involucrata 


9-12 


April — Aug. 


Purple 


Campanula Carpatica 


9-18 


July 


Blue, 








white 


Garganica 


3-6 


July 


Blue 


glomerata 


12-24 


July— Aug. 


Purple 


rotundifolia 


6-12 


June — Aug. 


Blue 


and others 








Carlina acaulis 


3-6 


June — Nov. 


White 


Cerastium arvense 


8-12 


April — May 


White 


Biehersteinii 


6 


May — July 


White 


iomentosum 


6 


May — July 


White 


Cheiranthus Cheiri 


12-30 


Spring 


Various 


Chrysogonum Virginianum 


12 


Spring 


Yellow 


Clematis recta 


24-36 


June — Aug. 


White 


Conoclinium ccelestinum 


12-24 


Sept. — Oct. 


Bluish 


Cornus Canadensis 


4-8 


June 


White 


Corydalis lute a 


6-8 


April — Oct. 


Yellow 


nobilis 


9 


Spring 


Yellow 


Cyananthus lohatus 


4 


July — Sept. 


Blue 


Cytisus Schipkcensis 




June — July 


White 


Daphne Cneorum 


2-4 


April — May 


Pink 


Delphinium elatum 


24-40 


June — July 


Blue 


Dianthus alpinus 


3-4 


Summer 


Rose, 








purple 


ccesius 


8 


June 


Rose 


deltoides 


6-10 


May — June 


Red 


glacialis 


3-4 


June 


Deep rose 


plumarius 


12 


May — June 


Various 


superhus 


16—24 


May — June 


Lilac 


Dicentra Canadensis 


12-16 


May 


White 


eximia 


12 


May — Sept. 


Deep rose 


Digitalis ambigua 


20-30 


July 


Yellowish 


Dodecatheon Meadia 


9-20 


Spring 


Pink 


Draba aizoides 


3 


April — May 


Yellow 


Epim^dium alpinum 


9 


May — June 


Crimson, 








yellow 



370 GARDEN PLANNING 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN — Continued 



NAME 


HEIGHT 

IN 
INCHES 


FLOWERING 
PERIOD 


COLOUR 


iLpHtlCCtlUtlt IVlliSSC tlldnUTK 


/; 
o 


June 




White 


Eticci cdTneo. 


z: 
O 


Mar- 


—June 


xs.ea 


Eft^sTon uuT anticus 


12 


June- 


-Sept. 


Orange 


gltziicus 


12 


May- 


-June 


V loici; 


Eftnus dlptnus 


4 


April- 


-July 


r urpic 


Erodtum wcicTudeniuTn 


O 


June — Aug. 


Violet 


^il cincscovt 




June — Aug. 




Evy sxTYi'iiiTi pumtluTH 


3 


Mar- 


-June 


Yellow 


Euphorbia polychromci 










Genista, pilosa 




May- 


-June 


I CUOW 


Cjcntxanci QCQ-ulis 


4 


May 




Blue 


ds els px&de CL 




July- 


-Aug. 


Blue 


luted 




June- 


-July 


Yellow 


Pncmondnthc 


4 0 


May- 


-July 


Blue 


Gevaniutn drgenteum 


3 


June- 


-Aug. 


Pink 


sdnguinsuTn, var. Ldncds- 


lo 


June — Aug. 


Pad 


tviense 


0 


May- 


-July 


Y ello\sr 


Geum THOfitdnuTn 


5 


May- 


-July 


Yellow 


TCptdns 


0 


July- 


-Aug. 


Blue 


GlohuldTtd tfichosdTithd 


2 


June — July 


White 


Gypsophild csTdsttotdes 








red 


Hsdysdrutn 7i€glectu7n 


30 


June — Aug. 




Helidnthemuvfi Chdvicscistus 


12 


July- 


-Aug. 


V Ctl IWUo 


Hepdtxcd trilohd 


A-A 

4-0 


March 


Various 


Heridrid gldhrd 


2 


July- 


-Aug. 


Greenish 


Hcuchevd sdfiguincd 


iz 10 


June— Sept. 


Red 


HxsTdctum vxllosum 


12-24 


June- 


-Aug. 


Golden 


IhsTis GibrdltdTicQ, 


1 2~20 


June- 


-Aug. 


Pink 


J'yiiiJ/i /fyi ^17 nil n 


6-8 


July- 


-Aug. 


Yellow 


Iris cristatd 


3 


April- 


-May 


Blue 


pumild 


2-4 


April- 


-May 


Various 


tectorum 


12 


June- 


-July 


Blue.white 


vernd 


6 


April- 


-June 


Yellow 


Leontopodium dlpinum 


4-12 


June— 


-Aug. 


Yellow 


Linarid dlpind 


6 


June- 


-Sept. 


Purple, 










orange 


Linum Cymbdldria 


Trailing 


All season 


Violet 


perenne 


12-20 


Summer 


Blue 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN 37I 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN — Continued 



NAME 


HEIGHT 

IN 
INCHES 


FLOWBRING 
PERIOD 


COLOUR 


Lithospermum prostratum 




May — July 


Blue 


Lobelia cardinalis 


20-40 




Red 


syphilitica 


20-30 




Blue 


Lychnis alpina 


4 


April — June 


Rose 


Majus pumilo 


3 


June 


Violet 


Mertensia pulmonarioides 


12-20 


May 


Blue 


Myostis sylvatica, var. alpestris 


3-8 


Summer 


Blue 


palustris 


6-18 


May — June 


Blue 


Nierembergia rivularis 


3 


June — Sept. 


Bluish 








white 


Papaver alpinum 


6-10 


Summer 


White 


nudicaule 


8-12 


Summer 


Various 


Pentstemon glaber 


9 


June — July 


Violet 


Phlox subulata 


4 


April — May 


Rose 


Polemonium caruleum 


12-30 


June — July 


Blue 


Polygonum afine 


8 


July — Oct. 


Rose 


Pulmonaria officinalis 


6-12 


April 


Blu^ 


Pyxidanthera barbulata 


2-5 


March — May 


Pinkish 








white 


Ramonda Pyrenaica 


2-4 


Spring 


Purple 


Ranunculus amplexicaulis 


8 


April — June 


White and 








gold 


Sabbatia lanceolata 


12-30 


May— Sept. 


White 


Sagino subulata 


2-5 


July — Sept. 


White 


Salvia pratensis 


10-20 


June — Aug. 


Blue 


Santolina Chamcecyparissus 


18-24 


Summer 


Yellow 


Saponaria ocymoides 


6 


All season 


Rose 


Saxifraga (various) 


3-18 


March— July 


Various 


Scabiosa graminifolia 


12 


June — Oct. 


Blue 


Sedum (various dwarfs) 


2-20 


Summer 


Various 


Sempervivum arachnoideum and 








many others 


3-5 


July 


Red 


Shortia galacifolia 


3-8 


May 


White 


Silene acaulis 


2 


May — Aug. 


Pink 


Pennsylvanica 


6-9 


April — May 


Rose or 








white 


Virginica 


12-20 


May — Sept. 


Crimson 


Spigelia Marilandica 


12-20 


May — July 


Scarlet 


Thalictrum aquilegifolium 


12-30 


May — July 


White 



372 GARDEN PLANNING 



PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN — Continued 



NAME 


HEIGHT 

IN 
INCHES 


FLOWERING 
PERIOD 


COLOUR 


Thymus Serpyllum (varieties) 


3 


June — Aug. 


Lilac 


Tiarella cordifolia 


6-12 


April — June 


White 


Tunica saxifraga 


6-10 


June — Aug. 


Pink 


Veronica (various) 


2-1 8 


May — Sept. 


Various 


Viola cornuta 


S-8 


Spring 


Pale blue 


Wahlenbergia grandiflora 


3 


June — Oct. 


Blue 


Zauschneria Calif or tiica 


8-20 


Aug. — Sept. 


Vermilion 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR SIX AIONTHS 

FOR SUNNY LOCATIONS 



BOTANICAL NAME 


common name 


HEIGHT 

IN 
INCHES 


COLOUR 


For April 








Adonis vernalis 


Spring Adonis 


10 


Yellow 


Alyssum saxatile, var. 








compactum 


Golden tuft 


12 


Yellow 


Aquilegia argeiiteum 


Silver tuft 


8-15 


Yellow 


Canadensis 


Columbine 


I2-20 


Red 


Arahis alhida 


Rock cress 


6 


W^hite 


Cerastium tomentosum 


Woolly-leaved chick- 








weed 


3 


White 


Iheris sempervirens 


Candytuft 


6-i8 


White 


Myosotis palustris 


Forget-me-not 


8 


Blue 


Phlox subulata 


Moss pink 


4 


Pink 


Saxifraga crassifolia 


Thick-leaved saxi- 








. frage 


10-16 


Pink 


For May 








Ajuga reptans 


Bugle weed 


6-12 


Blue 


Armeria maritima 


Sea pink 


2-12 


Pink 


Leontopodium alpinum 


Edelweiss 


3-6 


White 


HeucJiera sanguinea 


Coral bells 


12-18 


Scarlet 


Papaver nudicaule 


Iceland poppy 


8-12 


Yellow 


Pklox amoena 


Purple moss pink 


6 


Purple 


divaricaia 


Wild Sweet William 


10-18 


Blue 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR SIX MONTHS 373 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR SIX MONTHS— Coniimud 



BOTANICAL NAME 


COMMON NAME 


HEIGHT 

IN 
INCHES 


COLOUR 


Vinca minor 


Periwinkle 


2-6 


Blue 


Thymus Serphyllum 


Mother of thyme 




Pink 


Ranunculus acris 








var. flore-pleno 


Bachelor's button 


6-12 


Yellow 


For June 








Aster alpinus 


Mountain aster 


3-10 


Blue 


Callirrhoe involucrata 


Poppy mallow 


9-12 


Magenta 


Hieracium auranticum 


rla\% eed 


0—12 


ixea 


Iris Uctorum 


Chinese dwarf iris 


12 


Lavender 


Lotus corniculatus 


Bird's foot trefoil 


6-20 


Yellow 


(Enothera Alissouriensis 


Evening primrose 


8-12 


Yellow 


Opuntia rafinesquii 


Prickly pear 


2-4 


Yellow 


Ruellia ciliosa 


Hairy ruellia 


12-18 


Blue 


Statice latifolia 


Sea lavender 


20 


Lavender 


Veronica incana, var. 








Candida 


Hoary speedwell 


12-18 


Blue 


For July 








Achillea tomentosa 


Downy milfoil 


8-ic 


Yellow 


Aster alpinus 


Mountain aster 


3-10 


ijiue 


Brunella grandiflora 


Self-heal 


3-10 


Blue 


Campanula Carpatica 


Carpathian bellflower 


9-18 


Blue 


Pentstemon barbatus 


Beard tongue 


30 




Sedum album 


Stone crop 


4-6 


White 


sexangulare 


Love entangled 


6 


Yellow 


Hybridum 


Hybrid stone crop 


2-6 


Yellow 


Stachys lanata 


Woolly woundwort 


12-18 


Pink 


Thalictrum aquilegifoliutn 


Feathered columbine 


12-30 


Pink 


For August 








Coreopsis rosea 


Red tickseed 


12-20 


Rose 


Gaillardia aristata 


Blanket flower 


20-30 


Bronze 


Geranium sanguineum 


Red cranesbill 


18 


Red 


Pentstemon diffusus 


Beard tongue 


20 


Blue 


Sedum spectabilis 


Showy sedum 


18-20 


Pmk 


Salvia azurea 


Blue sage 


12-40 


Blue 


Stokesia cyanea 


Stokes' aster 


12-20 


Blue 


Gypsophila paniculata 


Baby's breath 


20-30 


White 



374 GARDEN PLANNING 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR SLX MONTHS— Conf/ww.^f 



BOTANICAL NAME 


COMMON NAME 


HEIGHT 

IN 
INCHES 


COLOUR 


For September 
Achillea millifolium, var. 

roseum 
Jnemone Japonica, var. 
alba 

var. elegantissima 


Yarrow 

Japanese anemone 
Japanese anemone 


12-30 
20-30 


Robe 

White 
Rose 


var. Queen Charlotte 






Pink 


Aster XoviT-Anglics 

var. rosea 
Colchicum autum7iale 
Conoclinium ccelestinum 
Ceatostigma phanhagino- 

ides 


Michaelmas daisy- 
Michaelmas daisy 
Autumn crocus 
Mist flower 

Blue leadwort 


12-20 
^12 


Purple 
Rose 
Purple 
Blue 

Blue 



PLANTS 



FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN 375 



^ & ^ OJ o 

_o _o m 1) ^ .ti .ti 

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V t> .ti .t; .i2 .t: .t; ^ v .t: a- 

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TTTT 

CTS CTj 



S -t^* >^ 



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I— <; ^ 



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< < < 



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O O o a. 



376 



GARDEN PLANNING 



o ;5 



o u 



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.ti .ti ^ ^ & -2 g .ti ^ .ti 




b ?i « 



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PLANTS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN 





son 




c .§ 

(U 1- 


)TES 


(U u 


iz; 


Trallei 
Veinec 

Blotch 


oi 


lite 


O 
_i 




o 
o 


Blue 

Blue 

Blue 

Scarlet 

Greenisl 

Various 

Rose 

Blue 

White 

Pinkish 

White 


:oD 




b! 




FLOWERING PI 


June— July 
June — Sept. 
April — June 
June — Oct. 
April — June 
March 
June — Aug. 
May — July 
June 

Aug. — Nov. 
April — June 




1 - 






AME 


arica 
a 

guinec 
nadem 
aris 
lis 

\ prosi 
a 

a var. 

ulatiu) 
as) 




Gentiana Bav 
septevifid 
verna 
Heuchera san 
Hydrastis Ca 
Iris unguicuL 
Linncea borea 
Lithospermum 
Uoydia alpin 
Tricyrtes hirt, 
Trillium und 
Violet (varioi 






K W 
O Z K 




Ts 





378 



GARDEN PLANNING 



3 j:: C 3 3 



> > M ^ M m O ^ S Ph ^ M W ^^pi^^ 




NNOO OOO 00 OON 



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1 I I I I 

N O 00 N M 

(-1 N I- « 



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HARDY PLANTS FOR SHADY PLACES 





-T3 


COL( 


^ a.ti 2 4, .Si ^ 




O O N o o 


HEIGI 

IN 
INCH 


1 1 T 1 1 1 vo vo 1 

O O N O uo N 

N N ■ w 


F LOWERING SEASON 


June 
June 
June 
June 
June 
July 
July 
Tuly 
July 
July 


AME 


:glove 
urge 
lin lily 


2 

o 


-2 «J " o rr: c 

— !r c ■> J3 b>. 


COMM( 


Perennia 

Foxglove 

Wood sc 

Mountai 

Horned 

Plantain 

White p 

Toad lil: 



2 8 



38o 



GARDEN PLANNING 



FERNS FOR THE ALPINE GARDEN 



Of the fifty odd kinds offered by nurserymen, the 
following are especially useful, being but a foot or less 
in height. 



Asplenium Trichomanes 
Botrychium lunaria 
Camptosorus rhizophyllus 
Cheiianthes lanosa 
Cystopteris bulbifera 

fragilis 
Ophioglossum vulgatum 
P(xlla atropurpurea 
Phegopteris DryopUris 

hexagonoptera 

polypodioides 
Polypodium vulgar e 
Scolopendrium vulgare 
Woodsia Ilvensis 



Maidenhair spleenwort 

Moonwort 

Walking fern 

Hairy lip fern 

Bulblet fern 

Brittle fern 

Adder's tongue 

Purple stemmed cliff break 

Oakfern 

Broadbuck fern 
Long beech fern 
Common polypody 
Hart's tongue fern 
Rusty woodsia 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 

FOR CUT FLOWERS 



COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


HEIGHT 

(inches) 


DURATION 
OF BLOOM 

(weeks) 


BLUE 








Ageratum 


Ageratum conyzoides 


ID 


All summer 


Giant comet aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


15 


Four 


Victoria aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


i8 


Four 


Jubilee aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


24 


Four 


Cornflower 


Centaurea Cyanus 


24 


Till frost 


Navy Blue sweet pea 


Lathyrus odoratus 


60 


Eight 


Dwarf lobelia 


Lobelia Erinus 


6 


All summer 


YELLOW 








Giant-flowering snap- 








dragon 


Antirrhinum ma jus 


24 


Eight 


Klondyke cosmos 


Cosmos sulphureus 


48 


Six 


Stella sunflower 


Helianthus debilis, van 








Stella 


36 


Ten 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 381 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL FURFOSES — Continued 



COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


HEIGHT 

(inches; 


DURATION 
OF BLOOM 

(weeks) 


YELLOW 










1 agctes erecta 




Twelve 


Tom Thumt) nssturtiuni 


Tropcsoluni minus 


1 2 


Twel^ 
we ve 


U. UlC iiiclXllliiVj Lll 






zinma 


rj. 

Ltxnnxa elegans 


24 


F'ft 
1 een 










Victoria aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


18 


Four 


Branching aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


24 


Four 


Jubilee aster 


Callistephus hort^yisis 


24 






Cldrkiu eleguns 


18 


Six 


T a A/Talmaicon nalcam 
J_ia iVXallilaloUll UctloalU 


Itnpatiens Balsatnina 




Eight 




Luthyrus odorutus 


40 




Sander's tobacco 


Nicotianu Sandercs 


30 


Eight 


Drurninond. s phlox 


Phlox Drummondii 


18 


Twelve 


^/laiTirnoth verbena 


V erbena hybrida 


12 


I cn 


WHITE 










AntiTTninutn mcijus 


24 




dragon 










LiCillxstephus hottensis 


24 


Four 


Annual chrysanthemum 


Chrysanthemum coron- 








arium 


18 


Twelve 


(jiant-ilowermg cosmos 


Cosmos bipinnatus 


4» 






Gypsophila pantculata 


12 


T'wel ve 


Emily Henderson sweet 










Lathyrus odoratus 


60 


Six 


1 en week-s stock 


Matthiola incana, var. 








annua 


15 


1 en 


Wnite swan poppy 


Papaver somniferum 


24 


r ivc 


RED AND SCARLET 








Giant aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


24 


Four 


Jubilee aster 


Callisephus hortensis 


24 


Four 


Victoria aster 


Callistephus hortensis 


18 


Four 


Giant-flowering cosmos 


Cosmos bipinnatus 


48 


Six 


Salopian sweet pea 


Lathryus odoratus 


60 


Eight 


Ten weeks stock | 


Matthiola incana 








var. annua 


IS 


Ten 



382 GARDEN PLANNING 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES — Continued 







HEIGHT 


DURATION 


COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 




OF BLOOM 






(inches) 


(weeks) 


Bonfire salvia 


Salvia splendens 


24 


Twelve 


LILAC AND PURPLE 








Peony-flowered aster 


LjalllSteprl'US rlOTt€7lSXS 


24 


r our 


Late-branchmg aster 


Callistcphus hoTtensis 


24 


Four 


Victoria aster 


Calltstephus hoTt€nsis 


18 




Double purple balsam 


1 7Hpati6ns Bulsaynma 


20 


xLignt 


Ten weeks stock 


Matthiola incana var. 








annua 


IS 


Ten 


Giant bluebird petunia 


Petunia hybrida 


18 


Ten 


Carnation-flowered 








poppy 


Papaver somniferum. 








var. fimbriatum 


24 


Five 


Peony-flowered poppy 


Papaver somniferum. 








var. pceoniceflorum 


24 


Five 


Mammoth verbena 


Verbena hybrida 


12 


Ten 


FOR MASS EFFECTS 


BLUE 








Tom Thumb ageratum 


Ageratum conyzoides 


6 


All summer 


Amethyst 


Browallia demissa (B. 








elata) 


18 


All summer 


Slender lobelia 


Lobelia Erinus, var. 








gracilis 


9 


All summer 


Crystal Palace lobelia 


Lobelia Erinus, var. 








compacta 


6 


All summer 


YELLOW 








Double sulphur rose 








moss 


Portulaca graJidiflora 


6 


Twelve 


African marigold 


Tagetes erecta 


24 


Twelve 


Dwarf nasturtium 


Tropceolum minus 


12 


Twelve 


Double mammoth 








zinnia 


Zinnia elegans 


20 


Fifteen 


RED AND SCARLET 








Love-lies-bleeding 


Amaranthus caudatus 


30 


Ten 


Giant snapdragon 


Antirrhinum majus 


30 


Eight 


Globe amaranth 


Gomphrina globosa 


18 


Ten 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 383 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL VURFOSES — Continued 



COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


HEIGHT 

(inches) 


DURATION 
OF BLOOM 

(weeks) 


■ 

Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandifiora 


6 


Twelve 


Bonfire salvia 


Salvia splendens 


18 


Twelve 


Mammoth zinnia 


Zinnia elegans 


20 


Fifteen 


WHITE 








Sweet alyssum 


Alyssum maritimum 


12 


Twenty 


Candytuft 


Iberis amara 


12 


Four 


Rose moss 


Portulaca grandifiora 


0 


Twelve 


Madagascar periwinkle 


Vinca rosea, var. alba 


IS 


Twelve 


ROSE AND PINK 








Sander's tobacco 


Nicotiana Sanderce 


24 


Eight 


Annual phlox 


Phlox Drummondii 


18 


Twelve 


Madagascar periwinkle 


Vinca rosea 


12 


Twelve 


LILAC AND PURPLE 








Double purple balsam 


Impatiens Balsamina 


20 


Eight 


Bluebird petunia 


Petunia hybrida 


12 


Ten 


Mammoth purple ver- 








bena 


Verbena hybrida 


12 


Ten 



FOR EDGINGS 



WHITE 

Tom Thumb alyssum 
Browallia 

Little Prince candytuft 
The Bride torenia 

Madagascar periwinkle 

RED AND SCARLET 

Dwarf snapdragon 
Drummond's phlox 
Double scarlet rose moss 
Mammoth verbena 

BLUE 

Blue Star ageratum 



Alyssum maritimum 
Browallia demissa {B. 

elata) 
Iberis amara 
Torenia Fournieri, var. 
alba 

Vinca rosea, var. alba 



Antirrhinum majus 
Phlox Drummondii 
Portulaca grandifiora 
Verbena hybrida 



Ageratum conyzoides 



Twenty 

All summer 
Four 

All summer 
Twelve 



Eight 
Twelve 
Twelve 
Ten 



All summer 



384 GARDEN PLANNING 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL FURPOSES — Continued 







HEIGHT 


DURATION 


COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


(inches) 


OF BLOOM 






(weeks) 


Browallia 


Brozvallia demissa {B, 








elatd) 


12 


Eight 


Crystal Palace lobelia 


Lobelia Erinus, var. 








compacta 


6 


All summer 


PINK AND ROSE 








Sander's tobacco 


Nicotiana Sandera 


24 


Eight 


Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandiflora 


6 


Twelve 


Mammoth verbena 


Verbena hybrida 


12 


Ten 


Madagascar periwinkle 


Fitica rosea 


12 


Twelve 


YELLOW 








Dwarf snapdragon 


Antirrhinum majus 


6 


Eight 


California poppy- 


Eschschohia Californica 


12 


Three 


Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandiflora 


6 


Twelve 


French marigold 


Tagetes patula 


12 


Eight 


Golden gate nastur- 








tium 


TropcBolum minus 


12 


Twelve 


LILAC AND PURPLE 








Bluebird petunia 


Petunia hybrida 


12 


Ten 


Mammoth verbena 


Verbena hybrida 


6 


Ten 


FOR COVERING ROUGH GROUND 


WHITE 








Tom Thumb alyssum 


Alyssum maritimum 


6 


Twenty 


Browallia 


Browallia demissa, var. 








alba (B. elata) 


9 


Eight 


Little Prince candytuft 


Iberis amara 


6 


Four 


Moonflower 


Ipomoea Bona-nox 


180 


Ten 


Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandiflora 


6 


Twelve 


Catch fly 


Silene pendula^ var. 








compacta 


6 




RED AND SCARLET 








Corn poppy 


Papaver Rhceas 


12 


Five 


Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandiflora 


6 


Twelve 


Bonfire salvia 


Salvia splendens 


IS 


Twelve 


Othello nasturtium 


Tropceolum minus 


8 


Twelve 


Mammoth verbena 


Verbena hybrida 


12 


Ten 



ANNUALS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 385 



FOR COVERING ROUGH GROUND — Coutvtued 







HEIGHT 


DURATION 


COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


(inches) 


OF BLOOM 






(weeks) 


BLUE 









Perfection ageratum 


Ageratum conyzoides 


8 


All summer 


Browallia 


Browallia demissa 


9 


Eight 


Slender lobelia 


Lobelia Erinus, var. 








gracilis 


9 


All summer 


PINK AND ROSE 








Annual gypsophila 


Gypsophila elegans 


18 


Ten 


Shirley poppy 


Papaver Rhceas, var. 








Shirley 


IS 


Four 


i-/rummoncl s prilox 


Phlox DruTfiTnotidii 


IS 




Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandiflora 


6 


Twelve 


Mammoth verbena 


Verbena hybrida 


12 


Ten 


YELLOW 








Golden wave calliopsis 


Coreopsis Drummondii 


18 


Twelve 


California poppy 


Eschschohia Calif or nica 


12 


Four 


Double rose moss 


Portulaca grandiflora 


6 


Twelve 


Tom Thumb nasturtium 


Tropceolum minus 


12 


Twelve 


LILAC AND PURPLE 








Giant admiration pe- 








tunia 


Petunia hybrida 


12 


Ten 


Mammoth verbena 


Verbena hybrida 


12 


Ten 


ANNUAL VINLS 


FOR VERANDAS AND ARBOURS 






HEIGHT 


DURATION 


COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


(feet) 


OF BLOOM 






(weeks) 


WHITE 








Cobcea 


Cobcea scandens. 


30 


Eight 




var. alba 


30 


Ten 


Moonflower 


Ipomcea Bona-nox 






BLUE 








CobcEa 


Cohoea scandens 


30 


Eight 



386 GARDEN PLANNING 



ANNUAL VINES FOR VERANDAS AND ARBOURS — Continued 



COMMON NAME 


SCIENTIFIC NAME 


HEIGHT 

(feet) 


DURATION 
OF BLOOM 

(weeks) 


MIXED COLOURS 








Morning glory- 


Convolvulus tricolor 


20 


Ten 


Japanese hop 


Humulus Japonicus 


30 


For foliage 


Hyacinth bean 


Dolichos Lablab 


10 


Ten 


Cypress vine 


Ipomcsa Quamoclit 


20 


Ten 


Gourds 


Luffa ^gypiiaca 


20 


Eight 


Nasturtiums 


Tropceolum majus 


10 


Ten 


Canary-bird vine 


TropcBolum peregrinum 


8 


Ten 



ANNUAL PLANTS THAT BLOOM AFTER FROST 

Ahronia umhrellata Erysimum Perofskianum, 

and Arkansanum 

Adonis astivalis, and au- 

tumnale Eschscholzias 
Argemone grandiflora Gaillardia picta 

Calendulas Gilia achillecefolia, capetata, 

laciniata, and tricolor 
Callirrhoe . Iheris afinis 

Carduus benedictus Lavetera alba 

Centaur e a Cyanis Stocks 

Centauridium (Enothera rosea, and Lam- 

arckiana 

Centranthus macrosiphon Phlox Drummondii 
Cerinthe retorta Podolepis affinis and chry- 

santha 

Cheiranthus Cheiri Salvia coccinea and jarin- 

acea, Horminum 
Chrysanthemums Verbenas 
Convolvulus minor, and tri- 
color Vicia Gerardi 
Dianthus Virginian stocks 
Elsholtzia Cristata Lychnis Viscaria var. eU- 

gans and Coeli-rosa var. ocu- 
lata 



HARDY PERENNIAL CLIMBING PLANTS 387 



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388 



GARDEN PLANNING 



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« 

ANNUAL CLmBING PLANTS 389 



B 



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390 GARDEN PLANNING 



< 

c 



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g 
u 



NOTES 


The attractive Virgini? creeper 

Boston ivy. Fine for brick wails and cities 

Bright blue berries in fall 

Lift tubers in fall and store 

With protection, tubers live over winter 

Hardier than ivy. Several varieties 

Ever useful English ivy. Many varieties 

Fine ground cover for shady places 

Roots hardy. New top growth annually if killed back 


TREES FOR THE LAWN 


NOTES 


Easily transplanted, but needs plenty of space. Suited 
to many soils 

Easily transplanted. Grows large with branches close 
to ground 

Blends with other trees. Ordinary soil. A wide spread 
of sturdy limbs 

Round, massive head. Beautiful in spring. Easily trans- 
planted in ordinary soil. 


HEIGHT 
IN FEET 


uo O r» NO 


DECIDUOUS 
OR 

EVERGREEN 


Q Q Q Q 


NAME 


Ampelopsis quinquefolia 

tricuspidata 

meterophylla 
Dioscorea alata 

divaricata 
Euonymus radicans 
Eedera Helix 
Mitchella repens 
Pueraria Thunhergtana 


NAME 


American elm {Ulmus Americana) 

European silver linden {Tilia Europa, 

var. argentea) 
Oriental plane tree {Platanus orientalis) 

Norway maple {Acer platanoides) 



TREES FOR THE LAWN 




2 



GARDEN PLANNING 



O CO 



c -a 
W S 



w o 5^ 13 

60 1=1 . 



O H M 



s 

o 
u 

H 

> so 



> 60 



P 



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s 

o 
o 



PQ 




o 

U-) w O >-< 



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5 



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SHRUBS FOR FLOWER EFFECTS 



393 



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o 

a 03 



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is 



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O O 



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to o 
a cn 







rum 






3 


o 


s 


II 


'a Stella 


oderife 


Mas. 


alustris 


jnadcns 
Japonic 


's 

■ft, 

*-^ 


Mezere 


Hx m 
nicerc 


agnolt 


nzotn 


rnus 


rca p 


Si 


donia 


■ft. 












5^ 




« 
C5 



An 



c)? O 



cti O 



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394 



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GARDEN PLANNING 



SHRUBS WHICH THRIVE IN SHADE 



Lilac 

Honeysuckle 
Berheris aqtiifolium and 



Gaultheria Shallon 
Hypericum, various 
Ivy 
Privet 

Prmius spinas a 

Rhodode7idron po7iticum 

Sweetbrier 

Bramble 

Snowberry 

Weigela 

Jasminum nudtflorum 
Gueldre Rose 
Wistaria 



other evergreen species 
Clematis paniculata 



Box 
Laurel 
Cornus Mas 
Cotoneaster 
Thorns, various 
Spurge Laurel 
Daphne cneorum 



Mezereum 



Many roses also will grow and blossom in shade, 
though not so bountifully as when put in a sunny place. 
The following kinds are recommended: 



Though the subject of manuring is a highly scientific 
one in which the expert is able to determine just what 
constituents for a particular purpose should be included 
in the manure, his services have more value in agriculture 
than in horticulture. In the treatment of garden soil 
the question is narrowed down considerably, and, only 
in few cases, calls for special measures. Of organic 
manures for garden use there is nothing more service- 
able than well-rotted stable or farmyard manure, which 
may be regarded as the simplest, most readily available, 
and generally most efficient of stimulants for exhausted 
garden soil. 

Manures are not only useful in providing plant food, 
but they may render valuable service in tempering an 



Ayshire 
Hybrid China 
Pink China 



Penzance Briers 
Gloire de Dijon 
Mme. Alfred Carriere 



Reine Olga de Wurtemburg 



MANURES 



MANURES 



undesirable soil, and, when used as a mulch, in providing 
protection from cold or preventing undue evaporation. 

On heavy land, turfs, leaves, vegetable refuse^ and 
stable manure containing a good proportion of straw 
litter assist to lighten and let air into the soil. 

On the other hand, on light, sandy soils, manure of 
heavier consistency, containing pig or cow dung, tends 
to give the ground more adhesion and body. 

Horse manure, though so universally applied, is not 
chemically so rich in fertilizing matter as some others, 
but its cleanly and inoffensive character is in its favour. 

Sheep and poultry manures are rich in nitrogenous 
constituents, and are therefore useful as top dressings 
for growing plants. Night soil is highly esteemed by 
rose growers, who dress their rose grounds with it in the 
spring, but its stench is against it for use near the house. 

Liquid manures are valuable stimulants for flowering 
plants, holding their fertilizing matter in a form which 
enables it to be quickly assimilated. The following 
liquid manures of organic origin are in common use: 



Farmyard drainings I part 

Water 3 parts 

Farmyard dung . . ; i bushel 

Water 30 gallons 



(It is better with this and other organic mixtures to 
enclose the solid matter in a coarse bag and immerse 
it in the water. It should soak for two or three days 



before use.) 

Horse, sheep, or cow dung I bushel 

Water 30 gallons 

Pig or poultry dung ^ bushel 

Water 30 gallons 

Soot I peck 

Water 30 gallons 

Soot ^ peck 

Poultry dung ^ peck 

Water 30 gallons 



(This last-mentioned mixture is regarded as one of the 



GARDEN PLANNING 



finest liquid manures known, and is specially recommen- 
ded for roses and sweet peas.) 



Dressings of dry lime and soot are good agents for the 
destruction of too abundant insect life, the former being, 
also, a valuable corrective for "sourness." 

Purely chemical manures fall into three categories: 



Nitrogenous manures stimulate leaf and stem growth, 
and in excess do so at the expense of flower production. 
Nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia are the sub- 
stances most generally used, and they are applied either 
dry at the rate of three quarters of an ounce per square 
yard, or in solution at the rate of one half ounce to the 
gallon of water. 

Potassic manures are regarded as excellent stimulants 
to flower production, and require to be incorporated with 
the soil in advance of seeding. Sulphate, muriate, and 
nitrate of potash, and kainit are examples of those com- 
monly in use. They should be used at the following 
rates: 

Sulphate and muriate of pot- 



Or, in solutions of one half ounce to the gallon of water. 

Phosphatic manures also require to be applied in ad- 
vance. Their function is to assist cell growth by manu- 
facturing protoplasm. They thus assist to build up the 
structure of the plant. 

Superphosphate of lime, basic slag, and bone meal are 
the substances in general use. They are usually applied 
at the rate of five pounds per square rod as a top dressing 



House slops 
Water . , 



1 part 

2 to 3 parts 



Nitrogenous 

Potassic 

Phosphatic 



ash . . . . 

Nitrate of potash . 
Kainit . . . . 



Impounds per square rod 
I pound " " " 
3 pounds " " " 



MANURES 405 

or raked in. The first only is soluble and adapted for 
use in liquid form. 

Generally, organic manures are best applied in the 
autumn, and it is convenient to distribute them in times 
of frost, when the ground is hard and therefore not easily 
disturbed by the wheelbarrow and gardener's boots. 
Animal manures of the farmyard and stable type may be 
used at the rate of two barrow loads per square rod. 

Farmyard manure is naturally variable in the pro- 
portions of its fertilizing constituents. An average sample 
may be considered as containing: 



12 to 15 pounds of nitrogen 
10 to 15 " potash 
7 " phosphoric acid 

20 " lime 



^to the ton of manure 



An excellent general chemical manure is a mixture 
of superphosphate of lime four pounds, and kainit, two 
pounds. This should be dug in early in the spring and 
may be supplemented later, when the plants have 
started into growth, by applying nitrate of soda, two 
pounds. The quantity given is for one square rod of 
surface. 

The following manures for special purposes are recom- 
mended by a successful market gardener. 

Tomatoes. 

Guano I part 

Nitrate of soda i " 

Kainit I " 

Superphosphate i " 

Use at rate of two ounces to the square yard of soil, 
or in a solution of one ounce to the gallon of water. 

Cucumbers. 

Guano i part 

Nitrate of soda i " 

Sulphate of potash I " 

Superphosphate 1 " 



4o6 



GARDEN PLANNING 



Use at the rate of one ounce a week for each plant, 
watering liberally after each application. 

Chrysanthemums. 

Nitrate of soda i part 

Kainit i " 

Superphosphate i " 



Sulphate of iron 



Use at the rate of one ounce to a gallon of water as a 
liquid manure. 

Carnations. 

Sulphate of ammonia I part 

Kainit i " 

Superphosphate I " 

Use as the last. 

Grape Vines. 

Guano l part 

Kainit I " 

Use as a top dressing at the rate of one quarter pound 

to the square yard of soil. As a manure when the berries 

are forming the following is good : 

Guano I part 

Nitrate of soda i " 

Muriate of potash i " 

Superphosphate I " 

Use as above. 

One other method of improving the soil, that may be 
practised in the vegetable garden and wherever annual 
plants can be removed by September, is the use of green 
manures. This means growing a forage crop such as 
peas, clover, oats, barley, rye or buckwheat, to be left 
untouched until late fall or early spring, when it is plowed 
under. This is an especially valuable treatment for 
extremely light or heavy soils, and around fruit trees. 
In the latter case sow the crop about July 15th and 
plough it under the following spring. 

In the garden, where, it is to be hoped, there will be 



MANURES AND COMPOSTS 407 



little bare soil until September at least, a catch-crop 
may be sown, to be plowed in after a couple of months' 
growth; or winter wheat or rye may be sown, to be 
plowed under in early spring. The latitude and the 
seasons for plowing will determine which is the better 
of these methods. 

COMPOSTS 

A compost is an artificial soil, in which are introduced 
the constituents best suited to the purpose in view. The 
following composts are each excellent for the purpose 
specified: 

Raising Tomato Plants. 
Sifted loam 
Sand .... 
Quicklime 



Grozving Tomatoes. 

Turfy loam 4 parts 

Decayed stable manure i part 

To the above add a 5-inch potful each of soot and 
quicklime to the barrow load. 

Raising Cucumber Plants 

Fine chopped decayed turf 4 parts 

Decayed stable manure i part 

Sand I " 

Grozving Cucumbers. 

Chopped decayed turf 3 parts 

Decayed stable manure i part 

To the above add a 5-inch potful each of soot and 
quicklime to the barrow load. 

Roses in Pots. 

Turfy loam .4 parts 

Decayed stable manure i part 



2 parts 
I part 
1 0 



408 GARDEN PLAXXING 

To the foregoing add a 5-iiich potful of bone meal and 
the same quantity of soot to the barrow load. 



Ferns. 

Turfy loam 2 parts 

Peat, or leaf mould i part 

Sand ■ I " 

Chrysanthemums. 

Turfy loam .3 parts 

Decayed stable manure i part 

To the above add a 5-inch potful each of bone meal 
and soot to the barrow load. 

Carnatio7is. 

Yellowish fibrous loam 3 parts 

Decayed farmyard manure . . . . i part 
Clean sand — sufficient to keep the mixture 
friable and porous. 

Grape Vines. 

Good fibrous turf 10 loads 

Decayed farmyard manure . . i load 

Charcoal i barrow load 

Wood ashes 2 barrow loads 

Broken bones i cwt. 



Potting Soil for General Purposes. 

Loam 

Leaf mould 

Sand 

Decayed stable manure 

GARDEN GEOMETRY 

When geometrical shapes are introduced into garden 
details, accuracy is an important consideration, because 
even the untrained eye resents a departure from the cor- 
rect form. The usual shapes of beds may be laid down 
with a few pegs, a stout cord, and a tape measure. An 



2 parts 
I part 

i 
2 

2 



GARDEN GEOMETRY 



old, worn dinner-knife makes an excellent scriber for 
scoring the turf. The following brief directions apply 
to the principal figures used in ordinary garden practice. 

Circles and Parts of Circles. — Use a round peg and 
drive it in firmly at the centre point. Make a simple 




Fig. I 



loop at the end of a length of cord (not a slip-knot, which 
would bind on the peg), and drop it over the peg; meas- 
ure olT the desired radius along the cord, and secure the 
knife handle to it with two half-hitches. Keep the cord 
taut while scribing the circumference with the knife blade. 



^ a 




Fig. II 



In setting out part of a circle when it is not possible 
to use the centre peg, as, for instance, when the centre 
falls within a building, describe the necessary segment 
the reverse way, as at A B in Figure II and stretch a 
cord C D along the grass surface, making a tangent to 



4IO GARDEN PLANNING 

it. Mark the cord with a series of equal divisions with 
chalk, and from these divisions measure from cord to 
curve, and set off the 'measurements in the opposite 
direction, marking each with a peg, as at E F, &c. Then 
join these various points with a clean curved line, so as 
to repeat the curve the reverse way. 



A 




Fig. Ill Fig. IV 

Ovals and Ellipses. — Using the term "oval" in its 
true sense of egg-shaped, the following method gives a 
good result (Fig. III). Stretch cords A B and C D at right 
angles to each other, and drive a peg at their intersection 
E, from which as centre describe a semicircle for the wide 
end of the oval. At points equidistant from E in both 
directions on the line A B (produced if necessary) describe 
arcs from the ends of the semicircle to G and F. Join 
the points F and G, with their respective centre pegs, 
through the point H, on the line C P, and drive a peg 
at H, from which as centre describe the arc G D F, com- 
pleting the figure. The arc G D F will be small or large 
according to the position chosen for the point H, which 
must be determined by the eye. The oval thus described 
is not a recognized geometrical figure, being compounded 
of arcs of three different radii. A better result is ob- 



GARDEN GEOMETRY 



411 



tained by combining a semicircle with a semi-ellipse, 
as indicated in the accompanying illustration, (Fig. IV). 

The ellipse is described in the following way: Stretch 
two cords A B, C D, at right angles to each other, and 
mark off the lengths O E, O F, each equal to half the 
length of the required ellipse, and O G, O H, each equal 
to half the width of the same. From H measure HI 
and H J, each equal to O E. Drive pegs at I, H, and J, 
and stretch a cord from I round H to J, having loops at 
I and J. Remove the peg H and the other cords, and 
inserting the scriber in the bend of the cord joining I 
and J, move it round from E to F, via H, keeping the 
cord taut, when its point will describe one half of the 
ellipse. Reverse the position of the knife, and work 
round in the opposite direction, via G, and the ellipse 
will be completed. 




'Fig. V Fig. VI Fig VII 

The Hexagon. — Describe a circle as above directed, 
and with the tape mark o£F the points A, B, C, D, E, F 
on the circumference so that the distance from each 
point to the next one, in a straight line, is equal to the 
radius of the circle. See Figure V. 

Right Angle. — When working on a large scale it is 
not practicable to use a square when setting out a right 
angle, and the following is the best method: If, in Figure 
VI, it is required to mark out a line from the point A 
in the line A B at right angles to A B, measure from A to 
C a length of three yards, or feet, or any convenient 
unit. From C as centre describe an arc of radius equal 



412 



GARDEN PLANNING 



to five units, and from A as centre another arc of radius 
equal to four units. Join the point D where the arcs 
intersect to A, and the line D A will be at right angles 
to A B. This follows from the well-known property 
of the right-angled triangle, that the square on the 




Fig. VIII 



hypothenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the 
other two sides, thus: 

3X3+4X4 = 5X5- 

When using this method on a considerable scale, 
apply it to the longest lines in the figure, and work out 
the smaller details with reference to the two right-angled 
lines first laid down. This method was used in setting 
out the Pyramids. 

An Equilateral Triangle. — Taking A B as the dimension 
of one side, describe arcs of radius A B intersecting at 
C and join C A, C B. See Figure VIL 

Stars. — These should be described within a circle 
so that all points lie on the circumference. A second 
smaller circle should be described to fix the points of the 
entering angles, which must be midway between the 
circumferential points. This may be done by describing 
arcs of equal radius from two adjacent points, and con- 
necting their intersections with the centre of the circle. 
The point where this line intersects the smaller circle 



GARDEN GEOMETRY 



will give the position for the entering angle, as shown in 
the illustration, (Fig. VIII). 

Joining Curves. — When a curve forming part of a 
circle has to be joined to a straight line, the centre of the 
curve must lie upon a line at right angles to the other 
line at the point where the curve is to start. When two 




Fig. IX 



curves of different radii have to join to form one con- 
tinuous line, they must have a common tangent at the 
point of junction, and thus may be considered as a double 
case of that first dealt with. This applies whether the 
two component curves are reversed in direction or not, 
as will be seen in Figure IX. 




Fig. X Fig. XI 



Diamonds. — These may be described as two equilateral 
triangles with their bases coinciding; or, if a longer diamond 
is required, the triangles must be of isosceles type, set 



414 



GARDEN PLANNING 



off by striking arcs of suitable radius from the ends of 
the common base, as shown in Figure XI. 

Crescents are formed by the intersection of segments 
of two circles as shown in Figure X. 

Rectangles. — The centre points of rectangles may be 
found by drawing two diagonals, which will intersect 
at the centre of the figure. The two diagonals of a rect- 
angle should measure the same. This affords a good 
means of checking the figure to see whether it is truly 
square at the angles. 

Irregular Curves. — In laying down irregular curves 
from a plan, the best method for ensuring accuracy is to 
work by offsets. This consists in laying down a base 
line having approximately the general direction of the 
curved line, and measuring from it to the curve at fixed 
intervals. These measurements are termed offsets 
and they should be at right angles to the base line. The 
points so determined are pegged and subsequently 
joined, thereby reconstructing the curve. (See Fig. 30, 
page 131.) 

GARDEN TOOLS AND APPLIANCES 

Though the gardener's equipment need not be very 
extensive or costly, it should include good serviceable 
tools and appliances, without which his work will be 
tedious and ill done. An eminent professor of horti- 
culture has applied the term "finish" to that quality in 
the garden which implies not only the care of each in- 
dividual plant, but general orderliness and cleanliness 
in the garden. This is best secured by ensuring that 
there is " a place for everything," and that every necessary 
tool and appliance is at hand for the gardener's use. 
"Finish" is only another term for general efficiency. 

The Tool-shed. — This may be quite a small affair, 
but should never be omitted. Garden tools occupy 
little space when properly stored, but when left about 
the garden they seem to be legion. In large gardens it 
is well to combine the tool-shed with the potting house. 
A rack for rakes, hoes, and other long-handled tools 



GARDEN TOOLS AND APPLIANCES 4I5 



is a simple convenience worth having, and prevents the 
not uncommon accident of a blow in the face from the 
handle of a tool, on the end of which the gardener has 
incautiously stepped. Small tools, like trowels, and 
pruning knives and shears, should be kept in a drawer. 

The list of tools and appliances need not be a long one. 
The following items are indispensable to the owner of a 
small garden plot: 



Dibber 
Spading fork 
Hammer 
Hoe 
Trowel 
Wheelbarrow 
Watering can 
Grass shears 



Rake 

Pruning shears {secateur) 
Spade 

Broom (birch) 

Alower 

Hose 

Garden Basket 
Spray Pump 



A fuller equipment would include in addition: 

Roller Pruning saw 

Reel, stake, and line Weeding fork 

Sieve Scuffle hoe 

Edging knife 

In many large gardens some of these items would have 
to be multiplied, and others might be added, including 
such special tools as: 



Bill-hooks, for hedge slash- 
ing 

Fruit picker 
Water barrow 
Garden engine 
Pick and mattock 
Grass edge trimmer 
Sprinkler 
Hand cart 



Lopping shears 
Syringe 

Wire-cutting pliers 
Shovel 
Turfing iron 
Spud 

Grafting tool 
Hose reel 

Ladder and step ladder 



Over and beyond these items the shrewd gardener will 
devise many other useful apphances. A few are shown 
on the pages following. 



4i6 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. XIII. — The snozv plough, useful for cleaning the garden paths, 
and easily made by a handy mechanic. 




Fig. XV. — The mixing board, for making up composts. 



GARDEN PLANNING 




Fig. XVII. — The turf heater 



GARDEN TOOLS AND APPLIANCES 



419 




Fig. XVIIL — A large rain-water barrel fixed five or six feet above 
the ground level, against the house wall, receiving the whole or part 
of the roof water. The head of water then enables the use of a hose. 
A second barrel may be added, the two being coupled by lead piping 
near the top. Keep the barrels well covered to prevent mosquito 
breeding. If other water under pressure is available, this supply 
may be retained or dispensed with according to the wishes of the 
gardener. 



INDEX 



Alpine garden, Rocks in 

the, 154 
Arbours, 248 
Arches, 254 
Aspect, 19 

Backwater, 185 
Beds and borders, 51 

Forms of, 79 

Groups of, 82 

in grass, 66, 122 
the path, 53 
Bog plants. Soil for, 165 
Border, The herbaceous, 3 14 
Borders, Beds and, 51 
Bowling green, 120 
Box edgings, 226 
Brick edgings, 231 

paths, 95 
Cost of, 96 
Bridges, 264 

Camber, 85 
Cement paths, 94 
Cinder paths, 94 
Colour in the garden, 310 

rose garden, 181 
Composite paths, loi 
Conservator}^, 210 
Cost of brick paths, 96 
Croquet grounds, 115 
Curves in the garden, 139 | 



Edgings, Box, 226 
Brick, 231 

Grass paths and, 125 
Stone, 233 
Wood, 235 

Essentials of paths, 55 
Fences, Iron, 220 

Wire, 216 
Flow^ers, 308 
Formality, 31 
Forms of beds, 79 
Fruit trees in the garden, 
200 

Garden styles, 47 
Golden rules of garden mak- 
ing, The, 41 
Grass, Beds in, 66 

paths and edgings, 125 

plot. The, 120 
Gravel paths, 91 
Greenhouse making. Prin- 
ciples of, 208 
Groups of beds, 82 

Hedges, 222 

Plants for, 224 
Height in the garden, 133 
Herbaceous border, The, 
314 



421 



422 IND 

House in relation to site, 

The, 23 
How to make a rock 

garden, 159 

plan, 129 

Improving soil, 75 
Iron fences, 220 

Lists of plants, 341 et seq. 

Ornaments for the garden, 
269 

Path, Beds in the, 53 
Paths and edgings, Grass, 

125 

Brick, 95 

Cement, 94 

Cinder, 94 

Composite, lOl 

Essentials of, 55 

Gravel, 91 

Stone, 104 

Tar, 94 

Tile, 104 
Pergola, 250 
Piping ponds, 191 
Plan, Making a, 129 
Plans, 283 

for the summer house, 
243 

Planting tables, 341 et seq. 
the rock garden, 168 
rose garden, 179 
Plants for hedges, 224 

the water garden, 196 
Lists of, 341 et seq. 
Ponds, 188 
Piping, 191 



EX 

Principles of greenhouse 

making, 208 
Reserve plot, 333 
"Reticence," 33 
Rock garden, Making the, 

Rocks in the alpine garden, 
154 

Rose garden, Colour in the, 
181 

Planting the, 168, 
179 

Soil for the, 178 

Screening, 11 1 
Seats, 259 

Seeding vs. turfing, 109 
Site, 9 

The house in relation to 
the, 23 
Soil, 15 

for bog plants, 165 
the rose garden, 178 
water plants, 193 
Improving, 75 
Specimens, 329 
Stakes, 275 
Steps, 145, 148 
Stone edgings, 233 

paths, 104 
Subtropical gardening, 326 
Summer house, Plans foi 
the, 243 

Woods for the, 239 

Tar paths, 94 
Tennis courts, 115 
Terracing, 141 
Tile paths, 104 
Tool shed, 206 



INDEX 



Trenching, 71 
Trellis, 220, 257 
Turfing vs. seeding, 109 

Vases, 271 
Verge, 54 

Wall gardens, 170 



Water garden. Plants for 
the, 196 
plants, Soil for, 193 
Wire fences, 216 
Wood edgings, 235 
Woods for fences, 213 
for the summer house, 
239 



I 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Oct 2012 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN COLLECTIONS PRESERVATION 

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Cranberry Tov/nship, PA 16066 
(724) 779-2111 



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